The Hindu : New Delhi News : Animal markets to be upgraded into model `haats'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jul 14, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Animal markets to be upgraded into model `haats'

KOLKATA, JULY 13. Faced with massive outcry from animal rights groups, the Council for Leather Exports (CLE) has decided to upgrade two major cattle markets of the country and develop them as model projects for hundreds of similar `haats' (markets) under a multi-million rupees project.

The CLE Chairman, S.S. Kumar, told reporters here today that the apex body under the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry had discussed the `vexed' issue of proper transportation and handling of cattle with animal rights group PETA and identified a number of areas of cooperation where such markets could be upgraded to provide the best of treatment to the quadrupeds.

"We found out that cattle was indeed being transported without much care from states where slaughter is not allowed on religious grounds to those which are more lenient on this. So we decided to upgrade two markets which handle a good volume of cattle," he said on the sidelines of an eco-awareness seminar for the leather industry.

The two markets -- one at Uluberia of Howrah district in West Bengal and another in Coimbatore -- would be upgraded with emphasis on proper animal handling improved facilities for sheds, fodder, water and veterinary care, Mr. Kumar said.

The project, to handle around 5000 cattle including cows, goats and buffalo in each market, would be funded by CLE alongside a few private sponsors while PETA would provide technical assistance, he added.

Pointing out that more and more compounds were being added to the list of substances banned for use in the leather industry under international standard regulations, Mr. Kumar said India would soon impose restrictions on the use of formaldehyde and a few hydrocarbons.

"We have already restrictions on carcinogenic substances like azo dyes, pentachlorophenol, polychlorinated biphenyls and terphenyls, flame retardants, cadmium, nickel and chrome-6. In the era of environmental labelling, we can not afford to ignore the Euro standards," he said.

On recent refusals of Indian leather goods by the Western market, he said two such cases had been reported on account of chrome-6 and pentachlorophenols. "However, they were not attributed to use of the banned substances but wrong testing methods used by the exporters," Mr. Kumar added.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Helmut Krause of German testing company SGS advocated the German model of consumer journals picking up products from the market, testing them and giving `good' or `bad' ratings thereby providing informed choices to the consumers.

"Such a practice is very healthy in the sense that it keeps the manufacturers on a tight lease not allowing them to undermine regulations," he said. -- PTI

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