Pollution Board issues notice over illegal slaughter in Jaipur

Jaipur, Mar 9 (UNI) The Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board (RSPCB) it would take legal action against the chief executive officer (CEO) of Jaipur Municipal Corporation (JMC) if he fails to take any steps within 15 days against discharge of untreated effluents from illegal slaughter houses operating at various places in the city.

According to reliable sources and documents available, under the provisions of the Water Act, 1974, these slaughter houses have not obtained previous consent of the state board for discharging waste water as required under the provisions of Section 24, 25/26 of the Water Act.

Despite orders of Supreme Court, High Court, the Chief Minister, Public Health Engineering Department and State Pollution Board, various slaughter houses are operating within the city and have not been totally shifted to the abattoir in Chainpura, about 20 km from Jaipur on Ramgarh Road.

Bhaskar A. Sawant, CEO of JMC, however, said they had already shifted the slaughter houses to Chainpura. ''Whatever are functioning here are illegal ones against whom action is taken from time to time. It is difficult to check these illegal activities on a susutained basis,'' he added.

''Our limitation is we cannot keep up the vigil on a regular basis as illegal slaughtering goes on at a number of places. Also the entry of animals for slaughter continues in the city, checking of which should be done by a team comprised of police and Nagar Nigam employees.'' He, however, denied having received any notice from RSPCB.

About Rs 1 crore has been spent on the facilities at Chainpura abattoir. The law prohibits animal slaughter and related activities within the city as it poses health hazards to its residents.

There have been reports of red coloured water flowing in the pipelines in city's Moti Doongri area.

Kamela area on Moti Doongri road has a number of slaughter houses, which dispose animal waste after the slaughtering process. Actually water supply lines in this area, with very narrow lanes, were laid prior to drainage system.

Due to excessive biological waste disposal in sewerage system, the problem of leakage in service connections on account of aggravated corrosion has led to frequent contamination of drinking water.

Ashwini Tiwari, convenor of Bakra, Para Kamela Hatao Sangarsh Samiti says although JMC had conducted a campaign to stop entry of animals for slaughter in city from December 15 to 31, 2005, acitivity in these slaughter houses continue in full swing. About 5,000 animals are slaughtered in Jaipur daily.

Tiwari allege that despite court rulings, these orders remain only on paper. ''Perhaps corruption and an assured vote bank are the reasons why leaders are afraid of taking a stand on the issue.'' However, Virender Singh, member secretary, RSPCB, says: ''We keep sending notices from time to time. Actually there are only five slaughter houses in the real sense of the term and most others are meat shops.

''We have put injunctions against those five but cannot take any concrete steps against those meat shops, although they have been asked to follow the pollution guidelines.'' UNI RRT SY BS1612