Barcodes on goats, sheep to be sold for Bakri Eid in Mumbai

In an attempt to stop the theft of sheep, goats and bovines during Bakri-Eid and ensure quality meat, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will issue unique barcodes for each animal that will be traded at the Deonar abattoir in this period.

Till now, around 82,000 animals have been registered with the Deonar abattoir — of which 81,308 are sheep and goats and 1,500 are bovines. Bakri Eid will be celebrated from August 12.

Dr Yogesh Shetye, general manager, Deonar abattoir, said the barcodes will be updated on the gate passes issued to each animal owner. “We issue gate passes to all owners who bring their animals for sale. The pass is issued after we note down the details of the trader, and the animal is medically checked. For the first time, this year, each animal will get a unique barcode so that whenever it goes out of the gate, civic personnel can scan the code. Automatically, the number of animals allotted to the owner will get updated on their gate passes too.”

Shetye said this way, the theft of animals can be stopped. “If there are any discrepancies in the number of animals being sold under one pass, the pass will be confiscated and the owner will be liable to answer,” he said.

According to a press release by the civic body, 82,000 animals have been registered at Deonar abattoir till date, of which 81,308 are sheep and goats and 1,500 are bovines.

This year, the BMC estimates that approximately more than two lakh sheep and goats and more than 10,000 bovines are expected to be traded at the abattoir.