Ludhiana MC lifts 42 carcasses from dairy complexes on Day 2

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, February 14

Continuing its drive, the Municipal Corporation (MC) lifted an additional 42 carcasses of cattle from dairy complexes for burial on Wednesday. MC officials reported that 32 carcasses were lifted from the dairy complex area on Tajpur Road while 10 were lifted from the Haibowal Dairy Complex on Hambran Road here today. It brings the total number of carcasses lifted and buried by the civic body to 117 since Tuesday.

For the past few days, the carcasses had not been lifted from dairy complexes and other locations. Private workers (skinners) had stopped lifting the dead animals, citing NGT orders prohibiting the disposal of carcasses at a ‘hadda rodi’ on the banks of Sutlej near Ladhowal.

Since the ‘hadda rodi’ was closed, the private workers claimed there was no space available for them to take the dead animals for disposal in the city. Consequently, a considerable number of carcasses had accumulated in the dairy complexes.

Notably, the MC’s carcass utilisation plant, established at a cost of around Rs 7.98 crore in Rasulpur Patti village near Noorpur Bet in 2021, was finally made operational in January 2024. But only after a week, it was locked by a Congress leader extending support to villagers who had been opposing the plant. However, the plant was established during the regime of the Congress government.

Now, the MC is facing challenges on how to make the plant operational again amid opposition by the people. In the past, it was also stated by officials that once the plant was made operational, the ‘hadda rodi’ near Ladhowal will be eliminated.

Now, the ‘hadda rodi’ has been closed but the plant is also not functional. The MC Commissioner recently wrote to the district administration to provide necessary support to reopen the plant.

Residents of Rasulpur Patti and nearby villages have been opposing the carcass utilisation plant for a long time. The villagers had earlier alleged that the plant was established in the village against their objections and could potentially contaminate groundwater and emit foul odours. The villagers had also alleged that when the project began in the past, they opposed it but officials had falsely claimed that the the Municipal Corporation was only installing a plant to prepare feed for poultry birds.

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