Valley
KMC to inspect abattoirs, burial grounds in Capital
The Kathmandu Metropolitan City has announced to inspect and keep a record of slaughterhouses and burial places in the Capital from next week.The Kathmandu Metropolitan City has announced to inspect and keep a record of slaughterhouses and burial places in the Capital from next week.
The move is a continuation of market inspection that started last month with the metropolis mobilising its staff to inspect three dozen meat and fish shops in Sundhara, Baneshwor, Anamnagar, Old Baneshwor and some sweets shops in the area. The inspection team had seized over 500kg rotten meat from stores at Sundhara.
In Kathmandu, there are nearly 300 slaughterhouses. However, only one dozen are registered with the KMC. Major abattoirs in Inaytole, Bouddha, Swoyambhu, Kankeshwori, Thankot and Kirtipur are among those listed in the metropolis.
“We have been getting complaints that unregistered slaughterhouses in Kathmandu are distributing unhygienic meat. This has posed serious health risk to the public,” said Hari Kumar Shrestha, head of the KMC’s Urban Health Division.
Kathmandu has around 2,500 meat shops and around 1,000 fish shops. Up to 90 percent of them allegedly do not maintain basic hygiene. Animals are often killed in dirty areas, in violation of the Animal Slaughterhouse and Meat Inspection Act-1999.
The KMC also plans on monitoring major burial grounds and reconstruct them if necessary.
“Most of the traditional burial places are in bad shape while some face encroachment,” said Shrestha. The KMC will inspect burial places at Teku Ghat, Shova Bhagawati, Gaushala and Chapali Bhairab.