SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir has 1,493 unregistered slaughterhouses, more than twice the 589 registered slaughterhouses in the Union Territory, according to data placed before the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
The figures, based on the 20th Livestock Census 2019, were disclosed by the Union Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying in response to a question on prevention of cruelty to animals.
JK’s 589 registered and 1,493 unregistered slaughterhouses form part of a national tally of 2,39,812 registered and 65,376 unregistered slaughterhouses. The ministry clarified that it does not maintain separate data on livestock slaughtered in licensed and unlicensed premises.
The government also said the deployment of veterinary officers and information on slaughter without veterinary inspection, including cases involving diseased, unfit or pregnant animals, are maintained by the respective State Governments, Union Territory administrations and local authorities rather than by the Union ministry.
According to State/UT estimates published in the Basic Animal Husbandry Statistics, the total number of animals slaughtered for meat production in JK declined from 4.63 crore in 2022-23 to 4.42 crore in 2023-24 and 4.17 crore in 2024-25.
In 2024-25, the estimate included 14.03 lakh sheep, 7.43 lakh goats, 6.81 crore? No. The figures provided in the official data show 39.52 million poultry, 1.40 million sheep and 0.74 million goats, besides 6.81 lakh buffaloes, taking the overall estimated slaughter to 4.17 crore animals.
The Centre said it had not released any financial assistance for establishment or modernisation of slaughterhouses during the last three years.
To strengthen animal disease surveillance, the government said financial support had been provided to central and regional disease diagnostic laboratories and ICAR institutes. The National Animal Disease Referral Expert System (NADRES) 2.0 provides district-level forecasts of potential animal disease risks around two months in advance.
The Bharat Pashudhan portal and National Animal Disease Epidemiology Network have also been deployed to strengthen livestock disease surveillance.
The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Slaughter House) Rules, 2001 prescribe standards for slaughterhouses and humane slaughter. The government said animal transport is regulated under the Transport of Animals Rules, 1978, while enforcement against illegal slaughter and violations relating to slaughterhouses and animal transport remains primarily the responsibility of State Governments and UT administrations.
For waste management, slaughterhouses are required to comply with discharge standards and consent conditions prescribed by State Pollution Control Boards or Pollution Control Committees. The Central Pollution Control Board also issued directions in January 2022 for installation of rendering plants by slaughterhouses.
