Dear Netters, Remember Sulochana Pednekar the Community Correspondent from Video Volunteers who came in and did a short documentary on the illegal piggery and slaughter house in Donvaddo, Saligao?
Her video is now up *here... <http://www.anothergoa.blogspot.in/>* More on the devastation caused by this dangerous community nuisance and health hazard as the community responds. Stay tuned... Warm regards and soldiarity. M&M. On 21 March 2013 16:20, muriel&mario <[email protected]> wrote: > *Illegal Slaughter House Endangers Saligao Community* > > > by Community Correspondent Sulochana Pednekar > with Lara Chandni > > *(Saligao's sordid piggy story **unfolds as a grassroots community > correspondent investigates the problem with her video camera...) ** > * > In Saligao village at Donvaddo, there is a drain alongside the road which > lies clogged with the blood and entrails of slaughtered pigs. For many > years now, the area’s local piggery has been a source of serious emotional > and material distress to its neighbours. > > Aside from the insupportable stench of excreta, rotting offal and the > flamboyant disregard for any considerations of hygiene, the squeals of > dying pigs at odd hours during the day are traumatising the entire > community. This is especially disturbing in light of the slaughterhouse’s > proximity to a school. Situated only 100 metres away is Lourdes Convent, > and everyday its 1,600 young students have to jeopardise their physical and > mental wellbeing in order to attend class. > > Sulochana was shocked by the very experience of filming: “Even when I was > moving around the area to record my video, the smell was unbearable. The > owners themselves live in extremely unhygienic conditions. The drain is a > breeding ground for mosquitoes; the organic waste used to feed the pigs > attracts hoards of flies and cockroaches. Rodents also infest the area. To > makes this worse, crows and eagles pick up rotting pig entrails and spread > them all over the village, putting the whole community at risk.” Needless > to say, this entire operation is illegal. > > The Goa Animal Preservation Act of 1995 lays down some very stringent > regulations for the meatpacking industry. In section 4 of the Act it is > stipulated that, "no person shall slaughter or cause to be slaughtered any > scheduled animal in any place in the state of Goa, unless he has obtained > in respect of such animal, a certificate in writing from the competent > authority that the animal is fit for slaughter". With its qualified staff > and equipment, the Goa Meat Complex is the sole establishment which > satisfies all requisites for the scientific and hygienic slaughter of > animals. It charges private meat vendors a total of Rs. 400 for outsourcing > their work. > > Notwithstanding, there are at least 20–30 illicit abattoirs to be found in > the state. In January of this year, authorities intercepted a truck > transporting 42 pigs from Belgaum to Goa, and 8–10 animals are killed daily > at the slaughterhouse in Saligao. The number can rise to 25 on weekends. > This routine massacre has exposed the entire neighbourhood to various > health hazards. While the worst affected are women and children who stay > home during the day or attend school at Lourdes Convent, the situation is > bad enough to trouble even a passersby. > > Apart from the unsanitary and often imaginary disposal of animal offal, > the locality is plagued by other unsavoury by-products of the business. > Hotel garbage is brought in by the truckload to feed the pigs and then left > to fester and decompose before being burnt. This residual waste often > contains a lot of plastic, and the fumes emitted from its incineration > pollute the entire atmosphere. The inferno then plays itself out to the > grizzly soundtrack of pigs screaming from being shifted or slaughtered, > from 5:00am to 8:00am and then again at night. > > There have been several initiatives taken up by the community to request > the owners to follow official guidelines in operating their business. The > residents even tried to enlist the help of the parish priest in maintaining > some semblance of hygiene in the area. All pleas have, however, fallen on > deaf ears. The family remains staunch in its refusal to acknowledge its > toxic effect on the environs. Through this video we hope to attract the > attention of the Health Department, so that it can take appropriate action > against the owners and put an end to their illegal and unsanitary > activities. > > The demands of the residents are fairly straightforward: > > - The Health Department should conduct regular inspections of the piggery > and enforce a strict adherence to government regulations. The import and > slaughter of pigs and the burning of waste must be in accordance with the > Solid Waste Management Rules of 2000. > > - The Panchayat or Village Council should also inspect the compound on a > regular basis and ensure an observance of protocol through its Garbage > Sub-Committee. > > - The local Panch member, Sarpanch (Headman) and MLA of the region should > ascertain that these inspections and enforcements are carried out smoothly. > Action needs to be taken immediately and effectively at the level of the > Health Ministry and the Cabinet. > > (ends) > > -- > *Our blog anOTHERgoa is now** active...* > ................................................................ > there *is* *anOTHERgoa* > at <http://www.an*OTHER*goa.blogspot.in<http://www.anothergoa.blogspot.in> > > > & <http://www.youtube.com/anothergoa> > > ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' > muriel & mario, > c/o FULKAR, > 6/22, sonarbhatt, saligao. > bardez. goa. 403511. > tel: 0832-2278276 / 2409999 > <anothergoa AT gmail.com> > > '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' -- *Our blog anOTHERgoa is now** active...* ................................................................ there *is* *anOTHERgoa* at <http://www.an*OTHER*goa.blogspot.in <http://www.anothergoa.blogspot.in>> & <http://www.youtube.com/anothergoa> ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' muriel & mario, c/o FULKAR, 6/22, sonarbhatt, saligao. bardez. goa. 403511. tel: 0832-2278276 / 2409999 <anothergoa AT gmail.com> ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
