Don’t bring slaughterhouses, meat processing units under EIA: Centre

New Delhi: The Centre has informed the National Green Tribunal that slaughterhouses and meat processing units do not need to be covered under the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification, 2006 as the existing guidelines and safeguards adequately regulate these entities from an environmental perspective.

Animal rights activist Gauri Maulekhi petitioned the NGT last year to include slaughterhouses and meat processing units under the EIA, 2006, citing concerns over water consumption, waste disposal, and zoonotic disease risks.

The Union Environment Ministry submitted an affidavit to the NGT, based on a report from an eight-member working group formed in August 2023.

The Ministry contends that current regulations and oversight by various agencies, including district magistrates, pollution control boards, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), and the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development (APEDA), suffice to handle environmental concerns related to slaughterhouses and meat processing units, negating the need for EIA coverage.

“There will be no significant value addition by bringing such units under the ambit of EIA, 2006 as only the issue is the implementation of the regulations already in place,” the ministry said.

It said the contentions of the petitioner (Maulekhi) are mainly due to the unorganised slaughterhouses and meat processing units and that the working group has suggested prioritising their modernization.

The ministry’s working group report said illegal slaughterhouses with a capacity of up to nine animals are causing “significant damage to the environment” and require more efficient regulation and monitoring.

The report recommended that the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) communicate with state-level monitoring committees to crack down on illegal slaughterhouse units with the support of local administrations and promote their transition into the organized sector.

“Converting all unorganized slaughterhouses into modern abattoir would certainly improve the surrounding environment. Hence, all unorganized slaughterhouses must be first of all made ‘zero waste emitting’ industries,” it said.

“Necessary funding may be considered by the state or central government for expansion and modernization activities to control illegal slaughtering.

Ramping up infrastructure, especially the waste management infrastructure, should be of utmost priority,” the working group recommended.

The FSSAI needs to intensify inspections and ensure that slaughterhouses get the license only when the food safety standards and pollution norms are complied with, it said.