Mushrooming unlicensed slaughterhouses in Puducherry a cause of concern

Unhygienic slaughtering of animals by roadsides, without adherence to rules, exposes people to diseases

In a clear violation of all existing rules and regulations, Puducherry has witnessed a mushrooming of unlicensed meat shops in the last few years.

The roadsides, even in residential areas, have slaughterhouses that sell mutton and chicken in unhygienic conditions, exposing people to zoonotic diseases.

“The recent Madras High Court order asking the Director of Tamil Nadu Rural Development Department to crack down on all meat shops without a valid licence, is applicable to Puducherry too. We have witnessed mushrooming roadside meat shops in the last few years. In fact, on particular days, especially Sundays, every 500 m or so, we could see herds of goats being bundled in a temporary shelter for slaughter. The animal will be slaughtered on the road for selling the meat. It is against rules and increases health risk,” said a retired government employee.