NGT Orders Further Examination of Environmental Violations at Ghazipur Slaughterhouse

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) to conduct a further examination of alleged environmental violations at the Ghazipur slaughterhouse and submit a report within eight weeks. Additionally, the NGT has directed a joint committee comprising DPCC and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to carry out another inspection of the slaughterhouse within four weeks.

This action by the NGT stems from a case that alleges violations of regulations at the abattoir operated by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi. The allegations encompass a range of issues, including the unauthorized extraction of groundwater without permission from the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) and the improper handling of wastewater. In March of this year, the NGT had established a joint committee of DPCC and CPCB to verify the factual situation and submit a report.

After four months, the NGT reviewed the committee’s report and identified certain deficiencies. As a result, it directed the relevant authorities to take further necessary measures. In the tribunal noted that DPCC had submitted another report highlighting these deficiencies. The shortcomings included the absence of a biomethanation plant for treating waste materials like rumen, stomach and intestine contents, as well as dung. Furthermore, the report indicated that the effluents discharged from the slaughterhouse did not meet the prescribed standards.

The NGT also observed that during the joint inspection, untreated effluent was being bypassed from the slaughtering area and rendering plant into an open drain that leads to the River Yamuna. Water quality and microbiology analysis revealed the presence of total coliform, faecal coliform, and E Coli in the outlets of nanofiltration and Reverse Osmosis (RO) filtration units.

Consequently, the NGT directed DPCC to reexamine the matter and file a fresh report within eight weeks. Furthermore, it mandated the joint committee to conduct an inspection after four weeks to ascertain whether the slaughterhouse is in compliance with environmental norms.

The case will be further reviewed in proceedings scheduled for January 15. The Ghazipur slaughterhouse, located in east Delhi, serves the meat requirements of a significant portion of the city. This mechanized abattoir, operational since 2009, has the capacity to slaughter 1,500 buffaloes and around 13,500 sheep and goats daily. It was temporarily closed on May 30 last year following an order from the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) on the instructions of the NGT but was subsequently reopened after compliance with the tribunal’s directives.