Authorities sit on construction of modern abattoir at Allochi Bagh

Srinagar, Dec 3: Failure of Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) to construct abattoir in the summer capital is taking a toll on health of meat consumers as there is no mechanism to check the condition of sheep before slaughter.

The abattoir, aimed at providing hygienic and quality meat to consumers, has hit a roadblock as construction has come to a standstill, missing several deadlines.
In 2020, the then Principal Secretary of the Housing & Urban Development Department, Dheeraj Gupta, had urged Municipal Commissioners of Jammu and Srinagar to ensure the completion of abattoirs in Jammu and Srinagar within the financial year.

However, in Srinagar, the modern sheep abattoir at Alochi Bagh, with an estimated cost of Rs 24.52 crore, has failed to meet its deadlines, raising questions about the project's progress.
The responsibility for constructing the modern, hygienic slaughterhouse at Alochi Bagh was entrusted to the Jammu and Kashmir Project Construction Corporation (JKPCC) by the SMC with an initial completion target set for August 2021.

However, Rajesh Kumar Shavan, Managing Director of JKPCC told Greater Kashmir that the project has been halted from their end, indicating that the Public Works Department (PWD) would now take over to complete the remaining work.

"We have stopped the work. Now, it will be handled by another department. As of now, the work on the abattoir at Alochi Bagh has been closed by JKPCC," he said.
Presently, the only functional slaughterhouse in Srinagar is located at Rainawari.

Jammu and Kashmir, being the leading consumer of mutton among all union territories in India, annually imports livestock worth more than Rs 1400 crore from neighboring states to meet the high demand.
President of the Mutton Dealer Association Khazir Muhammad Rigoo said that having government-run abattoirs in J&K is important.

He pointed out that while there is an old abattoir at Rainawari, the completion of the modern one at Alochi Bagh would be highly beneficial.
Rigoo further said that in the last six months, meat consumption in Kashmir amounted to Rs 72 crores, encompassing various events like weddings and festivals.

"If the modern slaughter house at Alochi Bagh is completed, it will definitely help. Some mutton sellers have small units at home. But government run abattoirs are a must," he said.

Dr. Rizwan Qureshi, Technical Officer at the Sheep Husbandry Department, highlighted the necessity of modern abattoir for ensuring the health and safety of meat consumers.

“Before an animal is slaughtered at a slaughterhouse, it undergoes an ante-mortem examination to determine whether it is fit for human consumption. If the animal passes the examination, it is then slaughtered,” he said.

Qureshi said in the slaughterhouses, after slaughter, the animal undergoes a post-mortem examination to again check for any diseases. “If the animal passes the post-mortem examination, it is then stamped as fit for human consumption,” he said.