According to existing laws, commercial slaughtering of livestock has to be carried out only in proper slaughterhouses.[break]
Keshav Achchami, livestock development officer at District Livestock Services Office, told Republica that consumer had no option but to buy meat at unhygienic places. "We have not been able to implement the provisions on hygienic meat in practice due to apathy of Banepa Municipality and meat traders," he added.
Though consumers are complaining about unorganized slaughterhouse and health hazards that it brings, their complaints have been falling on deaf ear so far. Physicians and experts in public health have started raising awareness against consumption of unhygienic meat products.
As per the Meat Inspection and Slaughtering Act formulated more than a decade ago, slaughtering and selling of meat products is allowed only after examination of livestock by meat inspectors. The act demands meat traders to get their products certified by the inspectors as healthy to consume.
None of more than three dozens meat shops in the district fulfill the requirements stipulated in the act. Worse is, most of these shops are not even registered with the authorities concerned. Apart from district headquarters, the number of meat shops is also increasing in Banepa, Panauti, Nala, Sanga, Panchkhal and Bhakunde.
According to District Livestock Services Office, about 50 buffaloes, 35 goats and more than 1,000 chicken are slaughtered in the district every day. The number doubles during festive seasons.
Though the government had released Rs 450,000 for the construction of slaughterhouse in the district two years ago, construction works have not progressed. Sources say construction works have been stopped due to disputes among the stakeholders.
Mahesh Baral, executive officer of Banepa Municipality, informed Republica that they have already spent Rs 425,000 for fencing and leveling works on the four ropanis of land that it has purchased to build slaughterhouse.
"We had allocated Rs 500,000 for slaughterhouse in the previous fiscal year. It will take some more years for the project to complete," Baral informed.
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