Mumbai trust seeks HC direction to curb Eid sacrifices at unlicensed sites

A South Mumbai-based trust on Monday filed a petition in the Bombay high court (HC), seeking directions to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to stop issuing licences, public notices and recall of licences allowing slaughter of animals during Bakri Eid outside Deonar abattoir.

The petitioner, Jiv Maitri Trust, has claimed that temporary licences being issued by BMC violate existing environment and animal welfare laws. Bakri Eid is going to be observed from August 22 to 24 and many sacrifices are made at unlicenced places, based on the temporary licences issued by BMC.

According to the Trust, which operates from its office in Dongri, BMC and the Deonar abattoir authorities had issued two public notices regarding temporary licences for slaughtering sacrificial goats and sheep at unlicenced premises outside the abattoir. The petition claims that the notices create confusion with regards to provisions of applicable laws. The petition also refers to guidelines set by the Supreme Court with regards to slaughter of animals and mentions that allowing slaughter in unlicenced premises would result in sacrifices being carried out on footpaths, pavements, society premises and public roads. Hence, the notices should be recalled, the petitioner said.

The petition further points out that as the Deonar abattoir is equipped with facilities such as disposal of effluents and waste, sacrifice of animals at public places “would create health hazards and severely affect the environment and ground water”.

The petition has urged the withdrawal of public notices and recall of licenses issued from August 10 and an order restraining BMC and authorities from allowing sacrifices during Bakri Eid at unlicenced premises. The petition is expected to come up for hearing before the division bench of justices Abhay Oka and Riyaz Chagla later this week.