Chandigarh: The MC approved the much-awaited project of the new multi-species abattoir in the monthly general house meeting on Thursday. The modern slaughter house will have the capacity to process around 60,000 poultry, 1,200 sheep/goat and 100 swine per day.The civic body has prepared and passed a Rs 48.8 crore financial estimate for the project, based on the report of the private consultant.Raw material will be sourced from Chandigarh and cities of Haryana and Punjab. The MC said the project will be completed in 24 to 30 months after allotment of work by calling e-tender from experienced agencies.Despite being discussed for the past few years, the project could not materialise due to multiple reasons, mainly finances. The previous plan of financing the project under the ring fence amount (part of funds or assets legally or financially separated to ensure it is only used for a specific purpose), did not work out. The expenditure will now be borne by the MC medical office, health. Following the approval of the general house, the engineering department will start the process of floating the tender to hire a bidder for the new abattoir.A copy of the agenda approved on Thursday reads, “The existing slaughter house in Industrial Area Phase-1, Chandigarh, was set up during the year 2000, and Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) was made in 2008 at the slaughter house facility to treat the highly contaminated wastewater generated during the process of slaughtering.” It added that modern facilities will replace outdated and unhygienic practices to ensure scientific methods using proper infrastructure are followed. It said this would meet needs related to public health, food safety, animal welfare, environmental protection, and economic viability. The modernisation plan includes upgrade of the effluent treatment plants (ETP) to treat high-strength wastewater before discharging it into municipal systems or the environment. The project will include solid waste management systems like rendering plant, composting, processing byproducts safely and converting them into valuable resources. Machinery will be upgraded for processes like stunning, shackling and evisceration. “As the existing infrastructure does not meet the standard of CPCC/NGT environmental norms, the requirement of modernisation of abattoir at existing slaughter house is a necessity,” the report says.Box: Break-up of Rs 48.8 cr project cost 1: Civil and structural works | Rs 14.43 cr 2: Main plant, equipment and machinery | Rs 33.02 cr 3: Contingency @3% | Rs 1.42 cr Total | Rs 48.8cr
