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MCD revives plan for pig abattoir in Delhi, 60 years after closure
The city currently has no designated pig slaughterhouse.
New Delhi: Nearly six decades after the national capital’s only pig slaughterhouse was shut following protests in north Delhi’s Andha Mughal, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has once again initiated the process of setting up a new pig abattoir and is scouting for a suitable location, senior civic officials aware of the matter said.
A site earlier identified in Rani Khera saw no progress due to resistance from local residents, they added.
Although Delhi has a mechanised slaughterhouse in Ghazipur, only chicken, buffaloes, sheep and goats are slaughtered there. The city currently has no designated pig slaughterhouse.
“Pig slaughter is carried out in some areas with improper waste disposal mechanisms — most of the waste is dumped directly into drains. The goal is to construct and operationalise it within the next two years. Instructions were given to identify a location and prepare the project report as soon as possible,” a municipal official said, requesting anonymity.
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In 2017, the civic body had proposed setting up a pig abattoir along with a pork processing plant in north-west Delhi’s Rani Khera, but the proposal ran into opposition from villagers. “We are now trying to find a new location away from residential colonies so that there is no public opposition,” the official added.
The idea for a dedicated pig slaughterhouse was first conceived in 2009 but faced delays due to the unavailability of land.
Ravindra Sharma, former director of veterinary services at the MCD, said pig slaughter in the city needs to be regulated through an integrated facility.
“Slaughtering on private premises is permitted with a minimal fee mandated by the high court. The problem is that the waste is discharged into drains, and there are no effluent treatment plants in such places. The city should set up a designated complex where piggeries can also be relocated, similar to dairy colonies,” he said.
Records seen by HT show that the MCD earlier operated a dedicated pig slaughterhouse at Andha Mughal, which was shut in November 1966 following public protests.
“After the closure, pork sellers started slaughtering pigs on their own premises. Due to public complaints about unsanitary conditions caused by such slaughter, it was felt necessary to construct a pig slaughterhouse,” an affidavit by the civic body in 2019 stated.
Another official said the corporation would require about 10 acres for a modern facility that would include slaughtering, processing and rearing units. The civic body plans to gradually relocate pig-rearing units to the new facility once it is established. The project is estimated to cost around ₹300 crore.
