Hotels Divert Food Waste to Cattle Sheds, MMC Warns
Officials said the practice was observed at more than one establishment.
Hyderabad:Food waste generated by hotels and restaurants in the Malkajgiri Municipal Corporation (MMC) limits is increasingly taking an unintended route from commercial kitchens to cattle sheds instead of being scientifically processed or converted into biogas.
The practice came to light during inspections by MMC Commissioner T. Vinay Krishna Reddy, who found food waste from hotels being collected and supplied to cattle rearers. Officials said the practice was observed at more than one establishment.
At Habsiguda, the commissioner inspected Suprabhat and Amaravati hotels, where food waste was found stored in drums. Follow‑up checks revealed the waste was being diverted to cattle rearers. He also inspected a dairy unit in Habsiguda and found buffaloes being fed large quantities of discarded food, with conventional fodder provided in smaller quantities. The operator was warned against feeding food waste to livestock.
MMC officials said such waste should be handed over through the authorised collection system and processed scientifically. Hotels and collection personnel involved in diversion were warned, while establishments were advised to consider food‑waste‑to‑biogas systems.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, the commissioner said, “We are pushing source‑level processing, particularly for establishments generating more than 100 kg of food waste a day. Such establishments are being encouraged to install biogas systems, with the residue subsequently used for composting or as organic manure.”
“Wider adoption of biogas systems could reduce the volume of waste requiring transportation and disposal while also cutting tipping‑fee expenditure,” he said.
According to the corporation, around 400–500 tonnes of food waste is generated daily by hotels, restaurants and other establishments.
Veterinary experts have cautioned against feeding cooked or unsuitable food to cattle. Dr R. Surekha, assistant director, Super Specialty Veterinary Hospital, Narayanguda, said unsuitable food can cause indigestion and bloating in cattle and other ruminants. Severe bloating, if untreated, can be fatal, while indigestion can affect milk production.
She said veterinarians had encountered cases where large quantities of plastic were removed from animals’ stomachs, stressing the need for awareness among animal owners and those who feed cattle.
