T’puram: The modern slaughterhouse at Kunnukuzhy, developed under city corporation, continues to face delays in becoming operational despite securing mandatory clearances earlier this year.The facility received approval from state pollution control board (PCB) in Jan this year, raising expectations that it would soon address long-standing concerns over unhygienic meat processing in the capital. However, the civic body is yet to commission the abattoir due to a combination of logistical and operational hurdles, including lack of a power connection and an insufficient number of registered vendors to run the facility efficiently. Sources said that while the construction and infrastructure components are largely complete, critical operational arrangements remain pending. The operation and maintenance contract has been awarded to M R Agencies, while the construction work was executed by Kerala Electrical and Allied Engineering Company Ltd. Despite this, the absence of essential utilities has held back trial operations. Another major issue delaying the project is the lack of a clear framework for animal logistics. The newly constituted corporation council is yet to finalize the system for sourcing and transporting livestock to the facility. This has contributed to what officials describe as an ‘inordinate delay’ in launching the unit. Corporation health wing officials however, maintain that the project is on track and will be commissioned soon after the model code of conduct is lifted. According to Dr Sreerag Jayan, the veterinary surgeon overseeing the project, efforts are under way to resolve the pending issues. “The power connection is expected to be obtained within two weeks. Following that, trial-run operations will begin after April 15,” he said. He added that effluent treatment plant (ETP), a critical component of the slaughterhouse designed to manage waste and ensure environmental compliance, needs to be recharged before operations can begin. “The ETP will take at least 20 days to become fully functional after recharging. Taking all factors into account, we expect the slaughterhouse to be fully operational by May,” he said.Dr Jayan also noted that discussions have been held with a section of vendors, but more participation is required to ensure smooth operations. The facility has been built at a cost of around Rs 15 crore.
