ISLAMABAD: The much-delayed slaughterhouse project caught the attention of the new city manager who issued directions for its redesigning and early construction.

Since the capital does not have a slaughterhouse, butchers slaughter animals in their houses or in open spaces without any certification.

CDA chairman retired Capt Noorul Amin Mengal got a briefing from the engineering wing and directed the relevant officer to go ahead with the redesigning of the project to add more facilities and take steps for its early construction. The CDA had already allotted land for the project in I-11/4.

“Yes, I have directed that the project be redesigned and some new features be added. Once changes are made, we will start construction as a slaughterhouse was a need of the city,” Mr Mengal told Dawn.

The CDA chairman, who has also served as the Punjab Food Authority director general, said the slaughterhouse would be state-of-the-art with a food value chain.

CDA chairman orders redesigning, early construction of facility

Last year, a meeting was informed that the total area of the slaughterhouse was 8,000 square feet and its indoor area would process more than 15,000 animals per week. As many as 2,000 goats and 800 cows would be slaughtered on the premises per day.

Major components of the premises included a freezing room, cold storage, deboning area, packing room, dispatch zone, area to keep animals, checking and inspection portion, chilling rooms, administrative rooms, parking, tubewell and waste treatment areas.

When contacted, All-Pakistan Jamiatul Quresh Meat Welfare Association President Khurshid Qureshi said land was available for the facility, however, the civic agency had been delaying the project without any reason for the last one decade.

“Unfortunately, people of Islamabad are being supplied uncertified meat as in the absence of any abattoir my community is forced to slaughter animals in houses or in open areas,” he said. Moreover, animal offal was also being dumped.

“Animal byproducts have huge international market but we are forced to waste it,” Mr Qureshi said, adding that he was thankful to the new CDA chairman for taking interest in a public welfare project.

“During the last one decade no serious step was taken by the CDA to start the project,” he said.

A few years ago, the CDA got the PC-I approved. Sources said according to the PC-I, the project’s cost was Rs1.9 billion in accordance with the rates of 2014. However, now in the revised PC-I, the scheduled rates of 2021 will be mentioned which means that the cost of the project will see a significant increase if it is executed as per the previous design.

In 2021, the CDA had allocated funds for construction of the slaughterhouse in I-11/4 but the federal government decided that the project would be executed under public-private partnership (PPP) mode. After the bidding process, Nespak was hired as a consultant, which was tasked to prepare a business model for it.

However, the CDA could not make any headway on the progress except changing the proposed location thrice. Finally, a five-acre plot was allotted in I-11/4 where the proposed slaughterhouse will be set up.

Many issues emerged as earlier it was a project of the CDA but after formation of the local government in 2015-16 it was given to the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI). In 2021, the project was given back to the CDA which got it approved from the Development Working Party (DWP).

Published in Dawn, January 31st, 2023