Ludhiana: Carcass plant to be relocated at Balloke village after 5-yr stalemate

The carcass utilisation plant at Noorpur Bet, which is lying non-operational for the past five years due to opposition from villagers, will be finally shifted to a new place.

On the one hand the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has been mounting pressure on the authorities to make the plant operational and on the other, nearby villagers were protesting against it’s opening.

According to sources, the plant will be shifted to Balloke village, near the sewerage treatment plant, and the tender for its civil work is also expected to be floated soon. The machinery will also be shifted and it is expected that the plant will be made operational by the end of the year.

The sources further revealed that the old building would be given for rent as a godown so that the MC could earn some money from the same.

Located at Noorpur Bet village, the carcass plant was constructed at a cost of Rs 7.98 crore. The facility was designed to process cattle carcasses into poultry feed supplements and fertilisers. It was expected to modernise carcass management in Ludhiana and reduce environmental hazards caused by open dumping.

The objective behind the plant was to shut down the illegal ‘hadda-rodi’ (carcass disposal point) that was functional on the banks of the Sutlej and was closed as it was polluting the river but it proved futile as it received criticism from the nearby 12 villages which did not let it operate fearing foul smell and health issues.

The plant was scheduled for inauguration in July 2021 but faced immediate opposition from local residents concerned about odour, pollution and its proximity to their homes.

The facility was designed to handle the disposal of 150 dead animals per day, making it one of the largest and most modern carcass management plants in the region. Spread across several acres, it was expected to address a long-standing civic issue of safe animal carcass disposal.

“If relocated successfully, the plant could finally begin functioning, offering Ludhiana a sustainable solution for carcass disposal,” said Amarpreet Singh, a social activist.

“It is a modern plant and the entire operation is automated and covered. No work will be carried out in the open and no foul smell will be emitted,” said a MC official.