Sunday, December 6, 2009

SC seeks details of environmental clearances for Ghazipur abattoir

NEW DELHI
: The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on Wednesday made a spirited presentation bringing out the stark contrast between the
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facilities at the Rs 130 crore Ghazipur abattoir and the now-closed Idgah slaughter house, but the Supreme Court sought to know details of environmental clearances for the project.

When Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) counsel Vijay Panjwani alleged that the project had breached statutory requirements under environmental laws, MCD counsel Sanjiv Sen questioned the CPCB's locus standi saying the central body had nothing to do with the project, which had got all clearances under environmental law from Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC).

Refusing to buy the argument that CPCB had no role to play, especially when the apex court had been seeking its assistance in the matter since 1996, a Bench comprising Justices V S Sirpurkar, Cyriac Joseph and Deepak Verma asked MCD to file all relevant environmental clearances obtained from DPCC in two weeks and adjourned the hearing.

The meat traders association and several other groups, which are on strike refusing to shift to the "ill-equipped" Ghazipur abattoir, also relied on the CPCB's environmental objections, primary among which is the location of a huge sanitary landfill next to the modern slaughter house.

They also said absence of a proper approach road could result in the vehicles transporting animals whipping up dust clouds and the unhygienic location of the abattoir would defeat the purpose of the project -- supply of hygienic meat to Delhiites.

The SC asked MCD to submit its response to the allegations within two weeks but clarified that slaughtering would not return to Idgah. "Those on strike are free to join slaughtering activity at Ghazipur," it said, and asked MCD to list what steps it had taken to make provisions for animal trading at the new abattoir.

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