Post NGT order, KMC seeks to acquire pvt land for modern abattoir
Kolkata: In pursuance to the order of the National Green Tribunal (NGT), the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has decided to acquire private land at Garden Reach Slaughter House Road to convert an existing defunct slaughterhouse into a modern abattoir.
According to KMC, as per available records, the entire area consists of 72 cottah of land and is under private ownership.
The KMC authority in its meeting headed by Mayor Firhad Hakim decided to acquire the land in question (where existing abattoir stands) through direct purchase in the public interest and convert the same to a modern abattoir observing all government rules and regulations as applicable.
In a Member-Mayor-In-Council meeting (MMIC) it was decided that the land be purchased directly from the legitimate land owner/s.
Accordingly, it is under process following the provision of direct purchase of land, government of West Bengal.
According to KMC, as the acquisition of land through direct purchase is a long procedure, but there is a need for installing modern abattoir early following the guidelines of NGT, authority desires to have the land through acquisition by the Land Acquisition Collector where KMC is the requiring body.
An MMIC meeting this month resolved to forward the proposal to the Land Acquisition Collector to acquire the land in favour of KMC following the provision of the Government of West Bengal for the mentioned purpose. The matter is now pending the final approval of the KMC.
Sources said that in May 2023, the NGT directed the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) to take a call on the Expert Committee’s recommendations to include slaughterhouses and meat processing under Environmental Impact Assessment Notification, 2006 within two months.
The NGT was hearing an application raising concerns about the inadequacy of the environmental regulatory framework to evaluate and remedy the adverse impact of slaughterhouse activities despite recommendations.
