KOZHIKODE: After inspections at hotels and ice factories, the Kozhikode municipal corporation is targeting abattoirs violating rules and working under unhygienic conditions. Its health squad will launch the crackdown in April last week. Ahead of the inspections, it has given one-week time for them to rectify. The public can also register complaints about faulty abattoirs. Kerala high court had on February 1, 2006, ruled abattoirs should not exhibit the meat openly in front of the shop and should keep it under hygienic conditions. The glass doors and partitions of the shop should be tinted so that the meat should not be visible from outside.
The Supreme Court also had on January 30, 2014, observed that despite the orders, guidelines and legal provisions were not at all followed by slaughterhouses and many are functioning without a license. It also highlighted the necessity of committees for supervising and monitoring the implementation of provisions to ensure modernisation of cattle slaughtering. Corporation health officer Dr R.S. Gopakumar said the decision to focus on abattoirs came after they received many complaints against displaying the meat in front of the shops located near schools and hospitals. "It would lead to the spread of diseases and rotting of the flesh,” he told DC.
"After the time given for rectification, the squad would conduct inspections. If needed we will shut down violators." The civic body is also expediting the modern abattoir project in Kothi. The corporation statistics show over 250 abattoirs working in city limits with a license. However, there are more without a permit. A survey conducted by the animal husbandry department in 2013 identified 1,130 slaughterhouses in the district, of which 314 are illegal, and 604 have only a registration with local bodies. The corporation is also planning an inspection to find out the number of slaughterhouses in the city soon.
