Delhi HC bans slaughter of poultry at Ghazipur Mandi
The Delhi HC asked the authorities to file within a week the compliance report on its order and come up with a plan to set up a designated slaughter house.
The Delhi High Court on Monday put a ban on slaughter of poultry at Ghazipur Murga Mandi.
A bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice V K Rao said, “We have no option but to close down the operation carrying on illegally slaughtering of birds in the Gazipur Murga Mandi. No slaughtering of birds will be permitted henceforth. Only sale of live birds is permitted.”
The court asked the authorities to file within a week the compliance report on its order and come up with a plan to set up a designated slaughter house.
The court’s direction comes on a plea filed by animal rights activist Gauri Maulekhi, highlighting the indiscriminate violation of animal rights and blatant abuse of animal welfare laws in Ghazipur Murga Mandi situated near the Ghazipur slaughterhouse, leading to public health and safety concern.
Appearing for the petitioner, senior counsel Raj Panjwani contended that there is no proper process of waste disposal or treatment in the market and the waste it generates pollutes the neighbourhood and emits an offensive odour, attracting pests.
Appearing for the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), advocate Sanjeev Ralli informed the court that they had conducted an inspection on April 24 following which they directed the closure of the slaughter house operating from inside the AAP government’s Delhi Agricultural Marketing Board (DAMB) premises at the mandi.
However, even after five months the slaughtering is still taking place there, the bench noted.
He also stated that the wastewater from the nearby fish market goes untreated into the Yamuna. “Illegal activities in the poultry market and fish market are going on,” he added.
Following this, the court questioned the DAMB as to how they were permitting the slaughtering.
“How is this going on in the market? How are you permitting slaughtering? In the affidavit you filed, you yourself have claimed that slaughtering is going on but why didn’t you stop it?” the court asked the counsel for DAMB stating that the slaughter house will have to shut in wake of the reports submitted by the DPCC.
Reacting to the order, Nasir Ali Alvi, chairman, Delhi Fish Poultry and Egg Marketing Committee, Ghazipur said, “We are yet to receive a copy of the order. Once we get it, we will meet Gopal Rai, Delhi’s agriculture minister on Tuesday and chalk out an alternative arrangement in accordance with the order.”
The matter will be now heard on October 29.
