The Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC), District Veterinary Offices of Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, Lalitpur and Lalitpur sub-metropolitan City, Bhaktapur Municipality and DoAH on last Friday jointly inspected major slaughter houses operating in the Valley. ´Condition of the existing slaughter houses is so horrible that upgrading facilities alone cannot guarantee the quality,´ Bol Raj Acharya, chief of district veterinary office, Kathmandu, said. He said that none of the slaughter house has fulfilled minimum requirements. The inspectors have also warned the traders to improve standards on all fronts immediately.[break]
According to Acharya, the butchering of buffaloes is terrible compared to goats and chickens. ´Practices of killing buffaloes in open spaces have ended but hygiene part of slaughter house is terrible,´ he added. He said that the animals have been butchered in narrow and dark spaces. Experts said that over 1,000 liters of drinking water is used to process the meat of one buffalo, which is impossible in the water-starved Capital.
The DoAH and other stakeholders have also recommended the government to build advance slaughter house on the outskirts of Capital. ´We have recommended the government to construct advance slaughter houses on the outskirts, where clean water is easily accessible,´ Acharya added. The office has also suggested the government that Naubise of Dhading would be suitable place for a slaughter house.
Officials at KMC said that they have called the meat traders for discussion about the hygiene at slaughter houses. ´Meat traders are also positive about building a slaughter house that matches the industrial level,´ said Narendra Bajracharya, chief of health department of KMC. He said that all the concerned authorities and government have agreed to build an advanced slaughter house on the outskirts of capital.
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