Goats illegally kept inside public toilet at Navi Mumbai's at Nerul market

NAVI MUMBAI: A public toilet inside the bustling Fakira Market in Nerul area of sector 15 in Maharashtra’s Navi Mumbai has been completely encroached upon to keep goats there illegally.
Nerul-based social activist Chhaya Khemani has lodged a complaint with the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC).
"Some of the private mutton sellers have somehow fully encroached the public toilet space and also the washroom inside this market, which is close to Jama Masjid in sector 15. The 'Public Toilet' board has also been illegally removed from this spot, and the room is now kept locked, with several goats inside. Many animals are also illegally slaughtered here, in order to sell their meat in this market," said Khemani.
When TOI visited the site at Fakira Market, the public washroom was indeed kept locked, with no notice or information mentioned outside that this was actually meant for public use.
At least a dozen goats locked inside this room were heard crying due to discomfort.
Sanitary inspector of Nerul ward office Rajendra Ingale said: "I have sent an official to inquire about the encroachment and misuse of the public toilet at the Nerul market, sector 15. This is a serious violation of civic rules and so action will be taken on the offenders after further investigating the complaint of the activist (Khemani)."
Deputy municipal commissioner (licensing) Shriram Pawar also stated that NMMC will fully inquire into this particular complaint about the toilet misuse.
RTI activist Anarjit Chauhan commented: "Technically speaking, the mutton sellers cannot slaughter the goats in the market, since these animals can only be killed at a valid abattoir, such as the Deonar slaughterhouse in Mumbai.”
“However, in order to increase their profits by bypassing this important rule of taking the goats to a legal abattoir, many mutton sellers secretly slaughter the live goats somewhere near their market place. In the Nerul case, they did so by converting the public washroom into an illegal abattoir. This is very unfortunate," he said.