Joint Committee report on operation of a slaughter house, taluka Karveer, Kolhapur, Maharashtra, 05/05/2022

Joint Committee report in compliance with the National Green Tribunal (NGT) order, January 11, 2022 in the matter of original application No. 102 of 2021 (Tanaji Ruikar Vs Kolhapur Municipal Corporation & Others).

The matter related to the operation of a slaughter house, taluka Karveer, Kolhapur, Maharashtra without obtaining any valid consent to operate from Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) and environmental rules related to air, water and discharging effluents into the groundwater, drains, rivers and extracting groundwater without any lawful authority and in violation of guidelines issued by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

The findings of the committee is that the slaughter house of KMC has been operational since 1972 and operating without valid consent to establish and consent to operate from Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB). The MPCB has issued closure directions under the Water Act, 1974 and Air Act, 1981 to the slaughter house. The slaughter house has not closed its operations and water, electricity supply also was not disconnected by the concerned authorities.

The report also stated that there are about 128 meat shops, operational within KMC jurisdiction. However, out of 128 registered butcher shops, only 40-50 butcher shops are sending their animals (sheep/goat) varying from 24 - 2,587 numbers per month for slaughtering at the centralized slaughter house facility operated by the KMC. Rest of the butcher shops are slaughtering the animals illegally without sending them to the centralized slaughter house facility of KMC and selling the meat for human consumption without being duly verified, certified and stamped by the authorized veterinary doctor of KMC.