Kozhikode awaits KIIFB funds to resolve abattoir issue

KOZHIKODE: The city is waiting for the blessing of Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board to sort out the long-pending issue of filthy and unhygienic slaughter houses. The municipal corporation is giving final touches to a project to set up a modern slaughter house at Kothi here. Corporation standing committee (health) chairperson K.V. Baburaj told DC that Finance Minister Thomas Isaac had already promised enough funds for the project from KIIFB. Discussions are also on to execute the project under PPP (Public Private Partnership) model, he added. However he admitted that at present there was no control for any agency over the slaughter houses.

The department of animal husbandry has been demanding setting up a centralised slaughter house to supply meat for the entire district where a few officials can ensure quality of meat, health of cattle and hygiene. An official told DC that now there was no monitoring of slaughter anywhere in the district. “We have only unlicensed slaughterhouses operated by meat traders at abandoned and isolated corners of the city,” he said and added that there was no mechanism to examine the health of the cattle.

“They used to dump the waste secretly in public spaces,” he added, referring to dumping of waste at the beach and other public spots in the city. According to a survey conducted by the department of animal husbandry, the district has 1130 slaughter houses of which 314 have no valid licences and another 604 have only registration at the respective local administrative bodies.