Slaughter Of Animals And Sale & Transport Of Meat Banned In Lucknow Amidst Lockdown

In the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, Lucknow, the capital city of the most populous state of India has declared uncompromising measures against the slaughter of animals and sale & transport of meat till May 30. This decision came during the upcoming celebration of Islamic festival of Ramzan. Apart from Ramzan, many other festivals like Buddha Purnima, Eid ul-Fitr and Bada Mangal are yet to come in the month of May. A 21-point advisory has been issued by the Joint Police Commissioner which further prohibits public gathering of five or more people under Section 144 of the CrPC.

Earlier in March, an order was issued by the district magistrate of Lucknow stating that civic authorities should ensure that there was no open sale of meat, chicken and fish to mitigate the chance viral contraction. This directly reflected in 30% decline in chicken consumption and a steep price cut in the poultry prices. The prices declined steeply from Rs 80/kg to Rs 40/kg. However, the state animal husbandry department contradicted the order with a public notice which clarified that there was no link between animal meat and coronavirus. However, this hardly took into account the role of acidifying animal meat on human immunity and possible contraction of meat animals through a human host.

As of April 27, the total count of those afflicted with the deadly coronavirus stand at 1,955 in the state with 31 deaths. There are total 163 active cases in the city which may not be a large number but the proactive measures taken by the authorities can ensure that the spread can be controlled through effective isolation and testing of hotspots. The global meat industry is suffering losses on the consumption side, but this was a landmark step from the production side of the industrial trade of animals. This was certainly a turning point in the preemptive   action against CoVID19. Even though the ban stays for only a month, the innocent animals can atleast live extended lives for another month, free from torture, abuse and constant mutilation.

Read: Meat and Fish Sale Banned in Lucknow in Wake of CoronaVirus Scare
Read More: China Places Permanent Ban on Consumption of Wild Animals in Attempt to Curb Coronavirus