Is Ghazipur meat worth its salt? Food experts will decide

HIGHLIGHTS

• Delhi's poultry market based in Ghazipur Mandi is once again under scrutiny.
• The state food commissioner had visited the spot after a petition was filed in HC.
• There are over 108 licensed slaughter shops in the Capital.

With summer at its peak, Delhi's largest poultry market-based in Ghazipur Mandi is once again under close scrutiny of the Delhi government and civic agencies.

Last week, the state food commissioner had visited the spot after a petition was filed in the high court about the huge mess being created by the slaughterhouses while butchering live animals and birds.

The other civic bodies that are involved include Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), Department of Animal Husbandry, Delhi Agricultural Marketing Board, East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC).

The court has directed the Delhi government and other concerned civic authorities to file their response soon.

A senior food safety officer on the condition of anonymity told Mail Today, "We have picked up raw meat and chicken samples from the Murga Mandi slaughter centres. We will test them in our laboratories to check if the non-veg that Delhiites are consuming is safe and hygienic or not. The report of the meat samples usually takes 14 days to come and we will file our reply to the court accordingly," he said.

Health experts fear the spread of contagious and deadly diseases such as bird flu. There are over 108 licensed slaughter shops in the Capital and officials suspect that other shops are running illegally.

According to the petition, there is a violation of laws laid down for the slaughter, handling and transport of animals and blatant abuse of animal welfare laws at Ghazipur Murga Mandi, leading to concern for public health and environment safety.

The laws that are violated are - Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Regulation of Livestock Markets) Rules 2017 & Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Slaughter House) Rules 2001, framed under the prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960 and the Food Safety & Standards (Licensing & Registration) Regulations 2011, framed under the Food Safety Standard Act, 2006.

The petition mentions that about 2.5 lakh poultry birds are traded and slaughtered every day.

"The trade and slaughter is done in a manner that is savage, sadistic, ghastly and extreme and unnecessary cruelty is inflicted on the poultry birds in the Murga Mandi. No proper waste disposal of treatment process is followed in Ghazipur Murga Mandi. It pollutes neighbouring areas and emits an offensive odour which pervades the entire neighbourhood and attracts pests."