Old Madurai slaughterhouse blamed for polluting river shut

CHENNAI: Madurai corporation officials on Friday shut down an old abattoir in Nelpettai, blamed for polluting the Vaigai river.
The decision followed a directive by the Madurai bench of the Madras high court in response to a petition filed by an advocate, Veera Kathiravan, who submitted that the corporation had not enforced the court order to close the old abattoir.Kathiravan submitted that the abattoir was polluting the Vaigai river as it was releasing the waste into it through a water canal.
More than a thousand goats were being slaughtered every day at the abattoir.
While the corporation built a modern slaughter house in Anupandi, about 5km from the city, the butchers refused to move there contending it was too far from the city and that the modern functioning process there violated their religious sentiments.
Kathiravan told TOI that the corporation passed a resolution on December 27, 2007, on the issue of animal waste being dumped into the Vaigai river.
The corporation established the new abattoir around eight months ago at a cost of Rs 3.88 crore. Corporation officials told the court that butchers could continue to observe their religious practices at the new slaughterhouse too.
However, butchers were not convinced and refused to relocate to the modern facility, Kathiravan said.
He pointed out that dumping of abattoir waste in the water canal for the past 70 years has resulted in pollution of groundwater.
Meanwhile, he filed another petition in the high court making the corporation commissioner and city police commissioner as respondents.
K Anantha Subramanian, another activist, told TOI, "The newly constructed slaughterhouse was not functioning in the past eight months and as a result of this the corporation incurred a loss of more than Rs 5 lakh. "Butchers should move to the modernized slaughterhouse so that consumers get quality mutton," he said.
Madurai corporation commissioner S Jebastin said butchers should use the modernized slaughterhouse as otherwise strict action would be taken against them.