Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The Urban Planning Directorate of Capital Development Authority (CDA) has allocated 8 acre land to construct a state of the art slaughterhouse opposite to Sabzi Mandi Police Station in sector I-11; whereas, the people living in the area considered it an anti-citizens project.

The capital city has been sharing the facility of slaughterhouse with district Rawalpindi since its creation at Kahuta Road as the said slaughterhouse was constructed on a piece of land, which later on becomes the part of Islamabad.

On the pressure and pursuance of Jamiatul Quresh, body of meat sellers and a prevailing controversy on the ownership of the existing slaughterhouse between the CDA and district administration of Rawalpindi, the civic body had decided to construct a new slaughterhouse years ago. During last 20 years, the authority allocated land on several locations for the construction of a slaughterhouse, but this project has not materialized.

Earlier, sites for a slaughterhouse were selected in sectors H-9/3, I-9, I-11, G-10/3, Tramrri and Park Road in the federal capital.

The reason to shift the earmarked plot is almost same every time as the people of locality resisted the decision to construct slaughterhouse in their area. Now, once again the authority has decided to construct the slaughterhouse in Sector I-11/4 opposite to the Sabzi Mandi Police Station, which is quite near to the main city.

The Urban Planning Directorate has allocated a piece of land measuring 8 acres in a most crowded area in a corner located on the junction of IGP Road and Faqir Aipee Road. The people living nearby and traders working in the area have criticised the decision and said the establishment of slaughterhouse in the area is totally an unwise decision.

They declared that it would be an anti-citizen project as its construction would badly affect the health of residents of surrounding areas up to many kilometers as the fat melting and bones processing plants in the facility would cause more smell in the area.

However, the Director Urban Planning, Ijaz Ahmed Shaikh while defending the decision has said; “we have allocated the land after considering all environmental and civic problems and this is the best available site for the slaughterhouse.”

A source inside the CDA has briefed the Daily Times that the decision to allocate the land is totally wrong as the slaughterhouse always constructed far away from the main city and in this case, city manager is going to construct a slaughterhouse in mid of the city.

He informed that the existing slaughterhouse is the acquired property of the CDA, “but our high ups instead of take possession of the building from Rawalpindi District Administration is trying to build new one as it will create another opportunity to make money in the shape of kickbacks”.

It is pertinent to mention here that the old slaughterhouse is quite sufficient to fulfill the needs of both the cities, but the butchers of federal capital are looking unwilling to utilise it and they are making excuses to avoid termination of their wrongdoings.

“In absence of a slaughterhouse in Islamabad, selling of unhygienic and medically unchecked meat is on rise. It has also been observed that butchers slaughter animals on their own without clearance from doctors usually deputed in government slaughter houses,” an officer has said.