Carcass plant to be shifted, MC awaits approval to begin process
The next hearing in the National Green Tribunal (NGT) regarding the modern and scientific carcass utilisation plant located at Noorpur Bet village is approaching near and has caused hustle in the Municipal Corporation (MC). The hearing is scheduled on November 29.
Though the decision has been taken to shift the carcass plant, now, the administration and the MC authorities are waiting for the nod from the government. The decision cannot be taken at the local level and it needs a green signal from the government before the beginning of the shifting work.
Decision taken in recent meeting
According to MC officials, in a recent meeting it has been decided to shift the carcass plant near the Tajpur Road dump site and the estimated cost to be incurred in the shifting will be around Rs 3.5 crore.
It is the third such plant in the country after Delhi and Jodhpur. While the NGT is pressing upon the MC and administration to start the carcass plant, the authorities are facing opposition from nearby villagers fearing health hazards and foul smell.
The plant was supposed to be inaugurated in July 2021 but it faced stiff opposition. The authorities again tried to make it operational in December 2022 but were unsuccessful. Yet another attempt was made in July 2023 but that too failed.
On January 15 this year, the MC, with the support of administration officials and the police, managed to make the plant operational for 10 days before facing opposition from the villagers. MP Ravneet Bittu also supported the protesting villagers and locked the plant, leading to the registration of an FIR against him.
“The plant is located close to our homes and life of the people staying here will become hell if it becomes operational. Besides foul smell, the threat of groundwater pollution and disease outbreak looms large over us,” said one of the protesting villagers.
MC officials held a meeting with officials from the district administration recently in this regard and on Thursday, Local Bodies Minister Ravjot Singh also met villagers in this context.
Dr Ravjot heared the grievances of the villagers and assured them that the decision regarding the functioning of the modern and scientific carcass utilisation plant would be taken amicably.
Gill MLA Jiwan Singh Sangowal, Ludhiana East MLA Daljit Singh Bhola Grewal; Additional Chief Secretary, Local Bodies Department, Tejveer Singh; Director, Local Bodies Department Gurpreet Singh Khaira; Deputy Commissioner (DC) Jitendra Jorwal, MC Commissioner Aaditya Dachalwal were among other officials were present in the meeting held at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU).
Sarpanch of Noorpur bet Gurpreet Singh, Ragubir Singh, Narinder Singh, Karamvir Singh and others represented residents of villages in the meeting.
