Deonar Slaughterhouse to Remain Closed, No Meat Sale in Mumbai on September 4 and 7: Here's Why

Mumbai’s largest slaughterhouse, the Deonar abattoir, will be closed for two days in September following an order from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). The closure will occur on September 4 and 7. This decision, issued by Mumbai’s civic commissioner Bhushan Gagrani, is in observance of the Jain community’s ‘Paryushan Parv’.

"After taking into consideration various aspects of this issue, I have come to the conclusion that BMC will announce one day closure to slaughter during Paryushan Parva i.e. Bhadarva Sud Ekam, every year, falls on September 4 this year. Ganesh Chaturthi is one of the days on which Deonar Abattoir is kept closed as per a 2015 decision. As it incidentally falls on the same day as Paryushan Parv, the abattoir will remain closed on September 7 as well," the order said. 

Instruction by Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation

Gagrani also instructed the relevant department to review the abattoir's closure dates and ensure the total number of closure days does not exceed 15 per year. Last week, the Bombay High Court directed civic bodies in Maharashtra to urgently consider and decide on representations made by a Jain public charitable trust requesting a temporary ban on animal slaughter and meat sales during the 'Paryushan Parv'. The petition was filed by Sheth Motishaw Lalbaug Jain Charities, seeking directions for the BMC and the civic bodies of Pune, Mira Bhayandar, and Nashik to expedite their decision on the trust's representation.

Why was the ban on animal slaughter sought? 

The trust, which sought a ban on animal slaughter and the sale of meat from August 31 to September 7, highlighted various aspects of Jain belief, including 'ahimsa' (non-violence). The plea said if animal slaughter takes place during the Paryushan Parv, then it would be detrimental to the cause of Jainism. A division bench of Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Amit Borkar said it does not see any impediment in directing the civic bodies to decide the representation made by the trust. 

(With PTI inputs)