ISLAMABAD : The meat sellers of the capital met with the top management of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) accompanied by a delegation from the Islamabad Small Chambers of Commerce.

The information secretary of Jamiat ul Quraish Meat Welfare Association complained to the CDA management that the establishment of a slaughterhouse for the capital is facing unnecessary delay. “Rupees 187.80million were approved for the slaughterhouse in September 2014 but not a single step has been taken since then,” he said.

CDA Chairman Maroof Afzal assured the delegation that the authority is making all efforts to establish a state-of-the-art slaughterhouse in the federal capital.

“Before the project is initiated, an environmental impact assessment would be carried out to ensure that an environmentally friendly facility is developed,” he said.

He said the slaughterhouse would only be initiated once a report is received from the Environmental Protection Agency. “We do not want to conduct ‘butchery’ but utilise latest technology to avoid environmental hazards and unhygienic conditions,” Mr Afzal said. The CDA chairman acknowledged that a modern slaughterhouse is the need of the hour.

“Five decades after the capital was built, we still do not have our own slaughter house,” he said. There are some 900 meat sellers in Islamabad, but due to absence of a formal place for slaughtering animals there is certification of meat being sold in the city, he said.

Published in Dawn, March 29th, 2015

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