RAWALPINDI - The butchers are playing havoc with the people’s health by selling unhealthy and unhygienic meat without any fear due to the lethargy of the officials concerned.
Though local administration has fixed prices of different commodities in the markets, but there exists no proper mechanism to check the quality of meat and its retail prices at the shops, the consumers said this while talking to APP.
They alleged that most of the butchers injected water into the veins of the slaughtered animals to increase their weight.
The butchers are selling unhygienic meat in almost all the congested ares, particularly those of low income groups, causing spread of fatal diseases, such as blood pressure and hepatitis.
The butchers slaughter unhealthy animals and sell the wet meat as they inject water into it in order to increase its weight. According to medical experts, the use of wet meat is spreading hepatitis and other fatal diseases among the people.
The residents said the butchers are often found slaughtering the animals in their houses or around their shops, instead of slaughtering them in the slaughterhouses, which is an illegal practice and must be stopped.
“The hygiene conditions at the butcher shops are very poor but the authorities concerned seem least interested to take action against the violators,” said Amjad, a government servant.
The quality of meat at most of the shops is very poor, as butchers slaughter unhealthy animals, said Amina Mushtaq, a housewife.
A resident of Peoples Colony in Rawalpindi Cantonment Area said that the butchers’ shops were mostly located on the main roads and the meat, which remained hanging outside the shops throughout the day, got contaminated with numerous germs and became a health hazard for the citizens.
The citizens alleged that the butchers bribed the officials concerned to get the slaughtered animals stamped without any formal inspection.
They said that a number of butchers do not go to the slaughterhouse and slaughter animals in their houses without fulfilling the legal and hygienic requirements.
According to a health expert, the meat available in the markets is infected with a number of deadly bacteria and is not fit for human consumption. Its consumption may cause dangerous diseases like typhoid, pneumonia, urinary tract infection, hemorrhagic colitis and other diseases.
It is important to mention here that just a few butchers are fined, challaned and booked under campaigns launched to check quality of meat.
The citizens called upon the administration and health authorities to take strict action against the violators of the rules.
Meanwhile, the sale of unhygienic beverages is flourishing in twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi due to lack of action by the authorities concerned.
Many markets of the twin cities particularly Pirwadahi and Faizabad bus stops have become the hub of these beverages as passengers have no option but to use sub-standard stuff due to high temperature.
Mango juice is available just for Rs 10 per glass and passengers were of the view that on most of the bus stops drinking water facility was not available.
A juice vendor at Pirwadahi said he sells pure juices, free of unhygienic stuff, adding he served juices on roads, as he could not set up his own shop.
Khana-Pul is another attractive place for these vendors for selling sub-standard beverages, the residents said.
The citizens have demanded of the local authorities to keep a check on these roadside vendors to save the city from epidemic diseases. Health experts said that such substandard beverages, juices and food are causing diseases, adding that Hepatitis A, E, cholera, tonsillitis, dysentery, gastroenteritis and tuberculosis are transmitted due to unhygienic drinks and food.
An official of Directorate of Health Services (DHS) asked the vendors to avoid selling substandard food items or face penalty.
He said that authorities would not allow anybody to play with the health of the people.
He said that special teams would monitor the sale points and fine those who were found selling food and beverages in unhygienic conditions.