East civic body shuts Ghazipur slaughterhouse

EDMC officials said while the union government order talks about keeping “meat shops” open, the slaughterhouse is a large space that has a complex web of activities.

The East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) on Tuesday issued an order to shut the Ghazipur slaughterhouse — the national Capital’s only legal facility to butcher sheep, goats and buffaloes. The slaughter of poultry and fish is permitted elsewhere in the city.

Ghazipur Slaughter House at Ghazipur in East Delhi. (Vandana Ramnani/ HT file photo)

This has been done to “restrict close proximity of human involvement in compliance with guidelines to control and contain Covid-19,” the order issued by the corporation to the private company that runs the 25-acre facility near NH-24, read. The slaughterhouse delivers over four lakh kilograms of meat daily, under an agreement with east civic body.

“At least 500 butchers and supervisors work here, whose health would have been at risk. This is not related to any scare regarding transmission of the Coronavirus infection from humans to animal meat or vice versa, at all. Alongside, the livestock market in the slaughterhouse premises has also been closed for now,” spokesperson, EDMC, Arun Kumar, said.

A stakeholder in the private company, however, said the order does not conform with guidelines set out by both the state and central governments.

“The Delhi and union government notifications say selling meat, dairy and poultry is allowed . But where will supply to the shops come from if the Ghazipur slaughterhouse is closed? As far as World Health Organization standards on hygiene and sanitation of the staff are concerned, we are taking care of it,” Fauzan Alavi, a director with the company, Frigorifico Allana, said.

“Besides, this is a basic food product for a large section of population. They will obviously not change their food habits overnight for next 21 days,” he said.

EDMC officials said while the union government order talks about keeping “meat shops” open, the slaughterhouse is a large space that has a complex web of activities. “Between so many people [the staff], it is impossible to maintain a one-metre-distance,” Kumar said.

Senior veterinary officers of the corporation said they had other reasons to shut the slaughterhouse as well.

“Most animals processed here would come from neighbouring states. These are unproductive animals, such as infertile or non milk-producing buffaloes. Since inter-state movement has been banned, the feed to the slaughterhouse will reduce from now,” said a senior officer with EDMC.