Residents here live amid stench of skinned animals

Aakanksha N Bhardwaj

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, December 11

Despite the opening of a few small showrooms in the Buta Mandi area to change the image of this area, the core Buta Mandi remains the same and workers taking skinned animals to stores on rehris is a common sight here.

Prior to the municipal elections, the area is abuzz with political activity. The area is divided into ward numbers 30 and 35. From ward number 30, Pawan Kumar, former councilor, has again got the ticket from the Congress and from the Akali-BJP, Ayyub Duggal is in the fray, while from the ward number 35, Meena Kumari from the Congress and Pushp Devi from the Akali-BJP are contesting the elections.

As their posters and party’s symbols are installed in everyone’s house, people here hope to get respite from their problems.

A visit to the place reveals the condition in which workers skin animals. A stench welcomes one the moment he enters the area.

Standing at the place even for a few minutes seems impossible and commuters pass through the place with their nose covered as the skinners are engrossed in their tasks for hours on stretch.

A carpenter working here near the Chowk tells the problem of a “Hadda Rori” (where animals are skinned) that is still here in the area, but nothing has been done to remove it. Most of the people living in the Buta Mandi are into the job of skinning which, they say, they do out of compulsion. Pradeep Kumar, 27, while earlier talking to The Tribune had said that he took to skinning as a child. Whenever he has his children, he will not allow them to take up a job in which there is no respect.

Here everyone says that the lack of employment is the reason for them to adopt this work, which they say is not acceptable in reality.

RS Mahey, a retired government official, said “maadi moti facilities haigiya ethe (a few facilities are there in this area), adding that “Hadda Rori” problem is a big one in the area, which is why people living nearby suffer daily.

Sewerage problem is another issue that is prevalent in this area. Huge dumps of garbage are seen everywhere. At a small distance, piles of skin of animals can be seen.