To develop a proper slaughterhouse in Leh district, a meeting was convened by CEC Dr. Sonam Dawa on March 13 at Council Secretariat, Leh. 

It was decided in the meeting to develop the slaughterhouse at Chushot & Stok area in a scientific manner and to shift temporary slaughterhouse from Bomb Garh to Chushot & Stok area at the earliest.

An absence of scientific abattoir in Leh district was indeed a matter of concern but the recent decision in the meeting has once again raised a big question in the mind of the people residing in and around the area. 

The Skit- tsal-ling at the end of the Stok thang come under Chuchot constituency in which around 45-50 families lives.  The biggest issue faced by the people is the existence of slaughter area inside the resident’s periphery. After many complaints and request to shift the slaughter somewhere else people are still struggling with the grievances.

The residents of Stok and Chushot have taken up cudgels against the authorities for constructing a slaughterhouse in the close vicinity of a residential area.The long-pending demand of the people of Chushot & Stok area got more complicated with the opposite reaction of the council and administration. 

Sonam Chondol, Panch member of Skitsal ling said,  “ The open slaughter house is a very big issue for us and we have been demanding to shift it to some other place from a very long time.  The hope to get it shifted and to live hassle-free life has been shaken with the decision of making it scientific and permanent out here.”

She further added that the people residing in the area were and is totally against for this construction.

Tsering Motup, Ex- Goba Stok village said, “Since from many years we have been demanding to shift the slaughter area.  Because it is located in residential area and along with the main road of Stok village, people face many issues because of it". 

Reacting to the recent decision to build scientific slaughter house at the same area, he said that the demand is to shift no matter whether it is scientific or proper. 

When asked about this to CEC, Dr. Sonam Dawa he said, “The foremost thing about that area is that it comes under command area and the construction by the public is not allowed.”

Talking about the health issue and problem faced by the people, CEC Dr. Dawa stated that the scientific development of an abattoir causes 0% health and environmental issues.

The recent decision on developing a scientific slaughter house does not come under Municipal Committee, Leh jurisdiction.  Whereas on March 13, Dr. Dawa directed Administrator MC, Leh, Dr. Zahida Bano to submit the same project to Urban Dev. Ministry J&K Govt. at the earliest.

When asked about the management and control of the abattoir by MC, Dr. Dawa said, in future, the jurisdiction of MC will be extended.

Dr. Zahida Bano stated that as per direction the project is ready and we are looking forward to implement it. The matter still needs some further discussion.

Scientific abattoir is indeed the requirement for Leh town keeping the environment, health and safety of the people in mind. But developing of such need in a purely residential area is one more issue which needs a serious concern of administration and council. The pleas of the residents to the administration have not borne fruit so far.