Carcasses raise a stink in Ludhiana

Skinners refuse to clear dead cattle after PPCB imposes 11cr fine

BQ: The MC had been asked to sort out the issue or find alternatives.

Pradeep Kumar Agrawal, Deputy Commissioner

Harshraj Singh

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, March 4

Carcasses of cows and buffaloes are lying in a decomposed state at various dairy complexes, gaushalas and residential areas of the city as skinners have refused to lift them for the last four days in protest against the notices issued to them by the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB).

The PPCB issued notices on February 27 to five skinners and imposed Rs 11.40 crore environmental compensation charges on them (Rs 2.28 crore on each) for allegedly discharging effluents from “hadda roddi” (place where carcasses are skinned) near Ladhowal into the Sutlej. On getting the notices, the skinners and their workers went on strike and stopped lifting carcasses from the city.

The dead cattle infested with worms are not only polluting the area but are becoming a serious health hazard. There are over 1,000 dairies on the Tajpur Road and Hambran Road in Ludhiana, and they supply milk to many parts of the city.

Nearly 15 carcasses of cows are lying at Govind Gau Dham, one of the biggest gaushalas of the city, emitting foul smell. The gaushala authorities have urged the government to resolve the matter at the earliest. The carcasses are not being lifted from the residential areas too.

The PPCB has asked the skinners to make arrangements for the disposal of the effluents. Earlier, a committee formed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had inspected “hadda roddi” and submitted recommendations to the PPCB.

The Municipal Corporation, Ludhiana, meanwhile, has failed to find a solution to the problem. It doesn’t have a carcass utilisation plant at present. A plant is likely to come up in two years.

Coming in support of skinners, Mayor Balkar Singh Sandhu said, “These poor skinners live in slums and how can they pay crores of rupees as compensation to the PPCB. I will discuss the matter with the Deputy Commissioner.”

When contacted, Deputy Commissioner Pradeep Kumar Agrawal said the MC had been asked to sort out the issue or find alternatives.