'Pay, Park & Butcher': Activists complain about illegal slaughters brazenly happening in Navi Mumbai

NAVI MUMBAI: Bikers who park their vehicles in the new Pay-n-Park site outside Panvel railway station are often intrigued to see a small shed with a tiny window adjoining this plot; since it is often filled up with crying goats and sheep.
Activists have informed that a mutton shop on the main road is illegally using this shed to keep and slaughter the animals, next to the Pay-n-Park, and then openly sell the meat. Activists have pointed that Panvel City Municipal Corporation (PCMC) must take action against such meat shops, since the Bombay high court has recently ordered that animals can only be slaughtered in valid slaughterhouses.
"It is a terrible situation for the animal livestock like the sheep and goats who are cramped up in a small shed behind the mutton shop in New Panvel, outside the railway station. The animals are illegally butchered here and then the meat is sold on the main road, which is animal cruelty. I have urged the PCMC to take strict action on such shocking illegalities,'' said city activist Anarjit Chauhan.
Chauhan further added: "The Bombay high court order of December 2019 has clearly directed all the municipalities in the state to ensure that animals are taken to legitimate slaughterhouses in order to do the meat business. So, the instance of the illegal mutton shop at New Panvel (opposite Bikaner shop) is contempt of court. After I communicated this to the PCMC commissioner, Ganesh Deshmukh, he has replied to me that the civic body will take action."
The PCMC corporator, Nilesh Bawiskar, told TOI: "Two years ago, I too had raised the issue of illegal slaughter of animals in various areas of PCMC, including New Panvel, Kharghar. Sometimes, small children can see how the poor goats are illegally killed on the roadside; this can psychologically affect the kids. I will now again raise this issue, as the rules and directions of the high court in this regard must be followed."
Another city activist commented: "Besides PCMC, even the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation must ensure that there are no illegal animal slaughters in their jurisdiction.''
Recently, during the presentation of the new Budget, the NMMC commissioner, A B Misal, had announced that they are keen to have a slaughterhouse within NMMC in the next fiscal year.