Corporation to tag animals coming to New Delhi abattoir

New Delhi
With the number of animals being brought to the Ghazipur slaughterhouse
likely to increase in coming months, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi
plans to micro chip the animals using tags.

A Radio Frequency Identification Device (RFID) will
be used and it will help in avoiding a mix up between halal and jhatka
goats, while ensuring that owners get back their own animals. The RFID,
which will be tagged to the front leg of the goat or sheep, will act
like a bar code and have details about the animals as well as their
owners. The name of the owner, weight and age of the animal, and also
whether it is meant for jhatka or halal slaughter, will be mentioned in
the chip.

The MCD has been receiving complaints that jhatka
and halal meats are often mixed together and this could hurt the
religious sentiments of some communities.

“Butchers who have been bringing their animals
for slaughter here have complained that their healthy animals are being
exchanged with unhealthy ones. Though the gates for jhatka and halal
slaughter houses are separate, we have also received complaints that
jhatka and halal meats get mixed up,” an MCD engineer said at the
slaughterhouse.

“If the details on the RFID chip indicate that a
goat is to be slaughtered in the halal section and if by any chance it
goes to the jhatka section, the gate will not allow the animal to pass
and it will be carried to the section mentioned in the RFID chip,” the
engineer said.

Amiya Chandra, the ADC of the Remunerative Project
Cell at the MCD, said: “The RFID chip also means that only animals that
are fit to be slaughtered will be accepted. In case a goat is
underweight, less than three months of age or is unhealthy, the chip
will not take the animal into the slaughtering unit.”

After the animal is slaughtered, its owner can
submit a token and take away the meat. “In case of any objection by the
owner, the chip can be used to verify and settle the matter,” the MCD
engineer said.

At the end of this process, the RFID chip will be sent for recycling.

The MCD has awarded the tender to a private agency.
“The micro chipping of animals is expected to start very soon,” Chandra
said.