Maharashtra government has decided to take strict action against open slaughtering of goats and sheep and has also issued guidelines to slaughterhouses on the same. It has made mandatory for the slaughterhouses to obtain permissions from the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB). The urban development department has also issued notifications in this regard. It says that the waste produces generated in slaughterhouses should be disposed off properly as per the MPCB guidelines. This will be applicable for those slaughterhouses who cutting more than ten animals per day. According to the state urban development department, illegal slaughtering activities has led to water and environmental pollution. "As per the MPCB Act 1981, it is mandatory for slaughterhouses to seek permissions from MPCB. Besides they also need to have the Effluent Treatment Plant (EPT) to treat the water generated in the slaughter process. However, in the recent audit conducted by the state government, it was revealed that most of the slaughterhouses are blatantly violating the prescribed norms. Moreover, most of the official slaughterhouses are closed due to the absence of EPT. So people are slaughtering the sheep and goats in the open," said a senior urban department official. He further said that most of the time during the time of Eid, temporary permissions are sought. "After temporary permissions are sought, no rules are followed. The local authority has to ensure that no open slaughter should take place. Besides without any treatment, the water generated in slaughter shops should not be released. Strict action has to be taken against these offenders who commit slaughter without requisite permission," he added requesting anonymity. "Urbanisation has increased, so has the demand of meat. In the newly developed places, we have not been provided with places to slaughter goats and sheep. Therefore, we had no option but to continue slaughtering the animals in open for our livelihood. And the most of these places are far from residential areas," said a meat shop owner requesting anonymity. POLLUTION

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