KARACHI, Dec 10: Owing to negligence of the authorities concerned, citizens are compelled to buy substandard meat at exorbitant rates because after Ramazan neither any official rate list has been circulated nor any of the concerned officials has bothered to visit the market.
Dozens of illegal slaughter houses are established in different towns where butchers and meat sellers fix rates at their own free will. For the entire city there are only two officials slaughter houses, which too are in shambles and cannot cater to the needs of citizens.
During visit to some markets in Orangi, Baldia and SITE towns, it was observed that the price list on display was issued in September for Ramazan and none of the meat sellers and butchers were following the list.
The list without any official seal carried following rates: Mutton A-category Rs240 per kilogram, B-category Rs230 and C-category Rs220. Beef with bone Rs110 per kilogram, boneless Rs140 and that of a heifer A-category at Rs135 and B-category at Rs130.
In Aligarh Bazaar, Iqbal Market, Orangi Town No 5 and the main bazaar of Baldia, meat sellers were charging Rs130 to Rs160 for boneless beef and Rs100 to Rs130 for the beef with bones. The prices of mutton also varied at different places.
The consumers are at mercy of the butchers, who sell unexamined meat of physically unchecked animals. The rich butchers have established their own illegal slaughter houses at least at 15 places in Orangi where very aged buffalos and cows are reportedly slaughtered.
Majority of the animals are slaughtered in the hideouts while some of the illegal slaughter houses are established on main roads. Least concerned with the city’s atmosphere, butchers throw the offal and waste on streets.
Butchers demand establishment of at least one slaughter house in each town, where they could purchase meat with minimum transportation charges. They said they had to pay Rs100 to the local police every week for selling the unstamped meat openly on the roads. It was also said the owners of illegal slaughter houses allegedly paid hefty amounts to the doctors’ men (inspection team) who were supposed to intimate them well before time about any possible raid by the higher authorities.
The butchers told this scribe that both the official slaughter houses located in the industrial area of North Karachi and Cattle Colony in Landhi were far away from rest of the city and they could not transport meat from there on daily basis. “Selling fresh meat is impossible if transported from these slaughter houses, and we therefore prefer to purchase meat from local traders,” said a butcher.
During visit, the sanitation condition of both the slaughter houses was found pathetic. There was no arrangement to cover meat. “We are compelled to wash the meat with contaminated water as there is no alternate arrangement,” the butchers said adding that they even have to drink the dirty water being supplied to the slaughter house.
At Cattle Colony, Saleem, Amjad and Shaukat, the owners of some animals, expressed their annoyance over filth in the yard of slaughter house and said that it was a routine matter.
About the disgusting situation in the slaughter house, Dr Mohammad Khan said there was shortage of sweepers and at least 30 sweepers were required, adding that a place where hundreds of animals were slaughtered 16 hours a day it could not be cleaned by 51 sweepers in three shifts.
Till 1980, he said, there were 22 vehicles with air-conditioned containers to supply the meat to the main market. Now there was no such facility, he added.
Dr Khan said the problems could be overcome if the number of vacancies were filled.
The cleanliness situation is not different at the slaughter house of North Karachi. There is only one dumper and one tractor to lift the waste. But both are in need of repair. The tractor’s blade has got broken and a lot of time is spent on filling the dumper.
The slaughter house is located in a congested area and besides the bad smell the disposal of the waste matter is also a constant problem for the local population. The doctor on duty, Dr Salman, said at least four sweepers were urgently required.
He said a power generator was also out of order and in case of power failure animals could not be slaughtered in dark.
An official source said there were only two trucks and two doctors for checking the illegal business in the entire city.
District Officer (Agriculture) Dr Zafar Zaidi, when contacted, told this scribe that his team was very active and had confiscated 28,000 kg meat during the last five months while during the previous one year 14,000kg meat had been confiscated.
About taking bribes from those, running illegal meat business, the DO said the allegations were baseless. He proposed ban on entry of cattle heads into the city mainly from the cattle fairs of Landhi and Malir. Besides, he said new slaughter houses should be established at RCD Highway, Manghopir Road and Super Highway so that the illegal business could be stopped.
