Kolkata

KOLKATA: Calcutta High Court on Thursday asked the commissioner of food safety, West Bengal, and the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) to file a report by May 17 on the status of disposal of animal carcasses. The bench of Chief Justice Thottathil B Radhakrishnan and Justice Arijit Banerjee was hearing a petition by Kolkata resident Ashis Mitra, accusing authorities of taking no action despite directions issued on April 20, 2018 by the urban development and municipal affairs department.

A copy of the order that directs all civic bodies to ensure proper collection of animal carcasses and their disposal either through burial or cremation, was submitted in court by Mitra´s counsel Phiroze Edulji. It was argued that no action has been taken despite the order.

Mitra stated that he came to know of animal carcasses making their way to eateries from dumping grounds in April and May, 2018. As there is no proper place for disposal of carcasses, people are forced to leave bodies of pets or domesticated animals at dumping grounds. As a result, an organized gang started recovering the carcasses and mixing the meat with that meant for human consumption, Edulji submitted.