MCD bid to end abattoir impasse

In an effort to end the deadlock between striking butchers and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), Mayor Kanwar Sain on Friday said the civic agency would take steps to remove the landfill site near the Ghazipur abattoir, reports HT Correspondent.

In an effort to end the deadlock between striking butchers and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), Mayor Kanwar Sain on Friday said the civic agency would take steps to remove the landfill site near the Ghazipur abattoir.

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Announcing the MCD planning commission's decision to approve the reclamation of the landfill, Sain said the agency would separate recyclable stuff from the remaining material, which is mostly sand.

“The recyclable material will then be removed in sealed plastic bags, which could be used at strategic places,” he said.

The landfill, and the stench emanating from it, is one of the main reasons behind the butchers' refusal to shift to Ghazipur from the 130-year-old Idgah abattoir in Paharganj.

The community wants the civic agency to address issues such as unhygienic surroundings of the new facility and large-scale job loss due to the shift.

On the unemployment issue, Sain said: “Around 400 butchers of Idgah slaughterhouse have found work at Ghazipur.”

While butchers from Idgah run the entire jhatka section, 35 per cent to 40 per cent of the staff in the halal and buffalo sections was from the old slaughterhouse, he said.

The MCD has also issued 454 licences to Idgah traders to operate in Ghazipur as livestock traders.

Sain said certain other improvements had been made to facilitate the smooth functioning of the abattoir.

“All roads near the slaughterhouse and livestock market have been resurfaced. The UP Govt has also been requested to cover the drain adjoining the abattoir to prevent foul smell.”