Slaughtering of animals, particularly goats and sheep, in open places has raised serious concern among the residents of Tiruchi.
As per the rules and regulations framed by the Tiruchi City Corporation, animals meant for human consumption should be slaughtered only in slaughter houses or abattoirs. For slaughtering animals, the meat sellers should take them to abattoirs. After levying a fee for each goat or sheep, the Corporation workers physically verify the animals to check whether they are sick. If the animals are sickly then they are disallowed from being slaughtered. Only healthy animals are cleared for slaughter. The workers then affix stamp on the goats and sheep, thereby authorising the butchers to sell the meat.
While a section of meat sellers prefer to follow the rules by taking the goats and sheep to the modern abattoir at G. Corner, several others violate the rules by slaughtering the animals in open.
Local residents point out that some of the meat sellers at Bheema Nagar, an important meat selling point in the city, brazenly violate rules and slaughter animals behind their shops.
They dump waste and blood in the drains. There are traders, who slaughter animals in public view. Bheema Nagar is not the only isolated place but animal slaughter in the open happens in almost all parts of the city right from Srirangam and Thiruvanaikoil to Edamalaipatti Pudur and Ramji Nagar.
“Customers prefer to buy only fresh meat. Many of them prefer to wait and buy fresh meat instead of the meat that comes from the abattoirs located at faraway places,” admits a meat seller at Bheema Nagar.
Meat sellers contend that slaughtering at abattoir is a time consuming task as they have to transport animals to the abattoirs well in advance in the morning and then bring the meat back to their respective stalls for business. If the animals are slaughtered near their shops, it saves time and also the transportation cost.
It is alleged that some of the Corporation officials conveniently ignore the brazen violations by meat sellers. They visit the stalls at their convenience regularly and take bribe.
“Most of the meat vendors do not seem to follow rules and regulations on slaughtering animals and displaying the meat. The meat stalls present not just an ugly look but also follow unhygienic practices. The Corporation officials should step up surveillance to ensure meat vendors adher to the rules,” said H. Ghouse Baig, a consumer activist of Tiruchi.
