Ludhiana: The modern slaughterhouse on Hambran Road that cost huge money (₹19.5 crore) has ceased operations after its contracted manager served notice to the municipal corporation (MC), citing financial losses due to negligible usage since April last year. The unit is the latest victim of administrative failures and the city's illegal slaughtering practices.
The slaughterhouse — designed to process 16,000 birds and 1,000 goats, sheep, or pigs in each shift — has seen no activity for months. Shopkeepers and meat sellers have avoided the facility, citing consumer preferences for on-the-spot meat preparation. Despite multiple meetings between civic officials, shopkeepers, and the contractor, the MC's fixed slaughtering rates (₹10 for poultry, ₹100 for pigs, and ₹150 for goats/sheep) failed to attract users.
A shopkeeper explained during a meeting that: "Customers want their meat cut freshly in front of them, and slaughtering at the plant means unsold meat might go to waste." The contractor claimed to have been unable to sustain operational costs, including ₹32 lakh in annual fees to the MC and ₹4 lakh monthly electricity bills. He requested permission to remove his equipment from the facility to wind up operations.
Administrative apathy
Chief sanitary officer Ashwani Sahota acknowledged the contractor's notice but stated: "We will not let this (closure) happen. Action will be taken against meat sellers who bypass the slaughterhouse. Residents must also prioritise the quality of meat they purchase."
However, critics argue that the MC's inconsistent efforts to crack down on illegal slaughtering have contributed to the facility's failure. While the National Green Tribunal (NGT) guidelines prohibit animal waste disposal in sewers and discourage open slaughtering, enforcement has been sporadic.
Broader implications
The closure of the slaughterhouse raises questions about the MC's ability to manage high-cost public projects. Similar issues have plagued other initiatives, such as the carcass disposal plant in Noorpur. As Ludhiana grapples with waste management challenges, ensuring the success of such facilities becomes critical to maintaining environmental and public health standards. The civic body now faces an urgent need to address operational inefficiencies and enforce regulations to prevent the continued decline of essential infrastructure.
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A costly failure
The project, first proposed in 2008, received initial funding from the food-processing industries ministry in 2015. Completed in Jan 2020, the facility only began operations in Feb 2021. Despite its promise to modernise slaughtering practices and address environmental concerns, the plant struggled to gain traction from the outset. Residents near the slaughterhouse have expressed frustration over the continued illegal slaughtering along the Buddha Dariya riverbanks, highlighted recently by a former BJP councillor in discussions with the MC commissioner.
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