KARACHI, Sept 11: Small hotels, roadside food vendors and eateries in the city slums are being sold meat of the dead animals.

According to the findings of a committee, set up by the Sindh ombudsman, Haziqul Khairi, earlier this year, a sizable number of all animals brought to Karachi die of various reasons, and thousands of kilograms of meat might have been sold to such outlets.

Although the city government officials claim that meat of the dead animals is consumed by poultry feed manufactures, the committee concluded that such a meat is sold to small hotels and roadside food vendors.

The committee was tasked to visit city government slaughter-houses, major meat markets and retail outlets and make recommendations for an improvement in the overall situation.

The committee reported to the Sindh ombudsman that at least 10 per cent of all animals brought to Karachi by road died of various reasons. “The quantity of meat of such animals is estimated to be 20,000 kilograms a day, worth about Rs1.5 million. The explanation offered by city government officials is that it is consumed by poultry feed manufacturers. It is not plausible in view of the quantity and cost of the meat. The only conclusion is that the meat is sold to small hotels, roadside food vendors and slums.”

The Sindh ombudsman held a number of meetings with 18 town Nazims of the city government, executive district officers and city government veterinary officers. He also met representatives of non-governmental organizations.

In Feb 2003, Mr Khairi constituted a committee, comprising advisers Abdul Mateen Khan and S. Nasim Haider. Afterwards, the former director-general of the Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Dr Mirza Arshad Ali Baig, was also inducted into the committee.

According to the findings of the committee, the mechanical abattoir for which foreign machinery with a loan component (60:40) worth Rs5.5 million was imported in 1962, was completed at Rs2.5 million in 12 years in 1974, but the abattoir has never been made functional and has been abandoned/sealed for 30 years.

“The three city government slaughter-houses in Landhi and North Karachi are working under open temporary sheds made from asbestos or tin in utter unhygienic condition with heaps of filth and excretion of slaughtered animals and with a large number of flies and insects. Water supply is irregular. There is no pre-slaughter examination of animals. Diseased animals are slaughtered without any check, endangering the health of consumers.”

The committee found the condition of wholesale and retail outlets to be highly unsatisfactory.

“There are less than 1,500 licensed meat merchants in the city of 14 million. There is hardly any shop with nets. Meat is transported in open trucks and is exposed to all kinds of pollution. It is grossly contaminated as these trucks are seldom washed,” the committee reported to the Sindh ombudsman.

The committee learnt that the working conditions at slaughter- houses are pitiable. “Butchers work in shabby, soiled, blood- stained clothes. There is no clean water or no public toilet. There are ghost employees and uncalled-for manpower, causing a loss of million of rupees to the city government.”

The committee found only one veterinary doctor during their visits.

The ombudsman has directed the city government to take necessary steps against unauthorized slaughter and sale of animals, improve hygienic conditions in the city and post a number of veterinary doctors at slaughter-houses within three months.