The city’s meat industry is staring at a potential crisis due to a severe shortage of veterinary officers at Asia’s largest slaughterhouse, the Deonar abattoir. with no extension granted to the livestock development officers (LDOs) beyond July 13 and no replacements in place, routine inspections have come to a halt, causing operational gridlock and raising fears of a meat shortage across Mumbai.
According to sources, 15 LDOs from the Maharashtra State Animal Husbandry Department, who were previously stationed at Deonar, have allegedly either been transferred or relieved. These transfers, part of a routine administrative reshuffle ordered by the regional assistant commissioner of Animal Husbandry, were initially deferred until July 13 to maintain operations. However, with no fresh decision from the state government following the expiry of the extension, the situation has worsened.
“Out of the nine veterinary doctors posted earlier, three have already been relieved, two are on leave, and only four remain to examine over 450 animals arriving daily for slaughter,” a senior official said. “Each female animal requires at least 12 minutes of inspection, while a male takes about six minutes, leading to massive delays,” said the official.
The Deonar slaughterhouse requires a minimum of 12 veterinary officers to function smoothly. The current shortfall has not only disrupted daily operations but also raised public health concerns due to delays in issuing mandatory veterinary health certifications. Without these clearances, livestock cannot be processed for consumption.
In a controversial move, the Animal Husbandry Department has reportedly asked the BMC to manage the vacant positions and redeploy doctors. However, until new appointments are made, animal inspections remain largely suspended, pushing the slaughterhouse toward a possible shutdown.
Thousands of workers, ranging from butchers, loaders, and transporters to wholesalers, who rely on the slaughterhouse for their livelihood, have been impacted. Industry experts caution that the disruption in the meat supply chain could soon lead to a spike in the prices of chicken and mutton across Mumbai.
Raising the alarm, MLA Rais Shaikh said, “Large animals are stranded at Mhais Dhakka and Deonar Kattalkhana due to the state government’s failure to provide veterinary doctors for inspection, as mandated by the Maharashtra Animal Preservation Act, 1976, before slaughter for meat supply to Mumbai and adjoining areas. The Deonar slaughterhouse is on the verge of closure due to the expiry of the extension granted to LDOs. I have spoken to Minister Pankaja Munde and requested immediate action to extend their tenure.”
The Al-Quraish Human Welfare Association has also urged the Maharashtra Government and the BMC to take swift action to restore normalcy. Meanwhile, Gulraiz S Qureshi, secretary of All India Jamatul Quresh, warned of protest action: “I humbly urge the authorities to appoint qualified veterinary doctors and restore proper infrastructure at the Deonar abattoir before the evening of July 15. If no action is taken, we will have no option but to launch a ‘rasta roko march’ from Wednesday.”
