NGT-panel asks civic agencies to stop blood from animal slaughter from flowing into Yamuna

The National Green Tribunal-appointed Yamuna pollution monitoring committee has directed all civic agencies to ensure blood of animals slaughtered in slaughter houses and during festivals doesn’t flow into the river.

While the North Delhi Municipal Corporation has already issued such orders, the east and south corporation have been asked to take action on similar lines.

The green court had in September 2015 directed the Delhi Pollution Control Committee and Delhi government to stop blood from slaughter houses from reaching the Yamuna.

Later, the complainant moved NGT twice in 2017 and 2018, alleging the order was not implemented.

“The monitoring committee alerted the three DMCs about NGT’s directions and the statutory responsibility already contained in the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act. The North DMC has issued orders. The South DMC and East DMC are directed to take action on similar lines,” said the minutes of a meeting, which the NGT-panel held on Monday.

The North DMC, on August 2, had issued an order that said the Ghazipur abattoir would remain open on the occasion of Eid. Those sacrificing animals in their own premises have been directed to ensure the disposal of the waste in an environment-friendly manner.

The committee has asked DPCC to take action under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act to prevent pollution in the Yamuna.

The complainant, which is a political party in this case, has informed the monitoring committee that despite NGT’s orders, animal sacrifices take place allegedly in an illegal manner along the Yamuna’s stretch in Seelampur, Jafarabad, Khajoori and Jheel Khureji among others.

The commissioner of East DMC could not be contacted despite repeated attempts.

“This has been pending for a long time. It is a welcome move both by the monitoring committee that it has taken up the matter. All types of sources polluting the river should be stopped,” said Manoj Misra, convener of Yamuna Jiye Abhiyan.

The minutes noted that representatives of the complainant party warned the NGT committee that they would stage a demonstration outside Delhi Police headquarters and the ministry of home affairs if blood from animal sacrifices is not stopped from polluting the Yamuna.

The Uttar Pradesh government had in 2017 ordered the closure of slaughterhouses in the state on the grounds of cruelty to animals and violation of pollution control norms. The complainant wanted a similar blanket ban in Delhi.