SHILLONG, Aug 17: The High Court of Meghalaya on Thursday came down heavily on the state government for not taking any meaningful steps to prevent the “hideous display” of carcasses on either side of the main roads.
The court also expressed concern over how animals, culled for meat, are ferried.
“For a long time, in several matters, this Court has been referring to the aesthetically hideous display of carcasses on either side of main roads, be it for vending chicken or mutton or pork or beef. Apart from the visual pollution, which may not be appealing to even the most carnivorous of non-vegetarians, the dust and grime that the carcasses are exposed to make them unhygienic for human consumption,” a division bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Biswadeep Bhattacharjee said in an order.
The court said it has been appealing to the state government to take effective measures to ensure that such carcasses are not openly displayed and are kept within cases to ensure the dust and grime of the roads do not get to them.
The court noted that the Deputy Solicitor-General has submitted that though the rules have been promulgated by the Union Ministry of Environment, the appropriate Ministry to deal with the matter would be the Ministry of Animal and Husbandry.
“Accordingly, the Union Ministry of Animal Husbandry, having its office at Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi – 110001, is added as a respondent,” the order said, directing copies of the petition and the orders passed to be forwarded to the added respondent immediately.
The state government reported that appropriate district animal market committees have now been put in place in accordance with the Rules of 2017.
But the court said, “Since such committees may have been newly constituted though the State says that such constitution was in June, 2022, it is possible that no meaningful steps have yet been taken or there are no uniform guidelines promulgated by the State in such regard.”
“Apart from this, there is the more important aspect of how animals which are culled for meat are ferried, both across the State and over the State borders. Surely, there is a lot of room for more ethical treatment of animals than tying up dozens of live chickens by their legs and having them hanging upside down from cycle handles or pushing far too many animals into a cramped vehicle with not enough legroom and ferry them over long distances,” the court stated.
It said since the relevant bodies have been constituted for more than a year, effective measures ought to have been taken in respect of the mattes and also the conditions in the market place, both with respect to better treatment of animals and hygiene and cleanliness.
The court directed the state government to file a report through a responsible official in the Secretariat when the matter is heard again on September 19.
