"This year it is too late for the court to direct the state government and corporation to set up temporary slaughter houses across the city. But this issue needs to be resolved with due application of mind and a realistic solution needs to be arrived at," a division bench of Justices D Y Chandrachud and Amjad Sayed said.
The bench was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by three activists seeking temporary slaughter houses for three-day Bakri-Eid festival commencing on October 27.
According to the petition, slaughtering is done only at the Deonar abattoir in suburban Mumbai.
The petitioners argued that the slaughter house at Deonar cannot cater to all the people bringing animals for sacrifice and there was a need to provide temporary slaughter houses during three days of Eid this month end. They also alleged that some organisations stop vehicles carrying animals and harass them.
The court had yesterday asked the government and civic body to hold a joint meeting to see if slaughter houses could be set up across the city.
Advocate General Darius Khambata today told the court while it was not possible to provide additional slaughter houses for this year and adequate arrangements have been made at the Deonar abattoir to cause minimum trouble to people.
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"The state government and corporation has to find out a realistic solution. You (government and civic body) are creating a situation of lawlessness. How many people will go to Deonar? You cannot have just one abattoir in the city. What will you do if there is illegal slaughtering? Then we will end up having blood in the streets," Justice Chandrachud said.
The matter has been posted for hearing now on January 21. (More)