NAROWAL: A strong stench, stemming from the disposal pump plant, rules the slaughterhouse of the city every morning.

The Narowal Municipal Committee built the slaughterhouse on three kanals on New Lahore Road, one kilomateres from Narowal city. The slaughterhouse is adjacent to the disposal pump plant.

Butchers complained that when they slaughter animals at the slaughterhouse early in the morning, the disposal pump is on, due to which the foul smell in and around the slaughterhouse plagues the atmosphere.

Residents say they have moved applications with municipal and district administration authorities for a number of times to shift the slaughterhouse to some other place but in vain.

“It affects the quality of meat, and consequently sales have dropped,” said a butcher, adding that several people have left buying meat from local butchers after they got to know about the stench at the slaughterhouse. Several people get animals slaughtered on their own instead of going for the meat processed at the slaughterhouse.

Similarly, several people but meat from nearby village shops.

Butchers Muhammad Hashim and Karamat Ali said their mornings were ruined with the foul smell of the disposal pump. They said that due to the disposal pump smell, some butchers avoid going to the slaughterhouse and instead they pay ‘monthly’ amounts to the staff to slaughter their animals at their own private places.

Other butchers Muhammad Ashraf and Abdullah said that besides the stench, the slaughterhouse housed poisonous insects and snakes despite the fact it was cleaned every day. They said these poisonous insects and snakes entered the slaughterhouse from the disposal pump.

Munawwar Ali Sheikh and Nasir Mahmood with some other people buy a goat and get it slaughtered in their locality.

“That’s the only way to get healthy meat,” said Munawwar.

President of the butchers association Muhammad Rafiq said that they pay a fee for slaughtering the animals at the slaughterhouse but the municipal committee provided least facilities to them. He said butchers have been braving the disposal pump stench for the last 20 years, but nobody listened to them. Mr Rafiq said that some butchers had left the occupation of selling meat due to the ill smell of the disposal pump.

Psychologist Dr Mumtaz Ahmad said the construction of slaughterhouse and disposal pump side by side showed poor planning by the administration. He said the meat processed in dirt and foul smell was dangerous for the health of people. Medical specialist Dr Farrukh Sultan said that eating noisome meat could cause diseases of stomach and liver.

Chief Officer of the Municipal Committee Mirza Muzaffar Baig said that the municipal committee was ready to shift the slaughterhouse to some proper place, but they had no funds. He said they would plan a new slaughterhouse in consultation with butchers once funds were released.

Published in Dawn, October 6th, 2019