Srinagar, Apr 6: Notwithstanding the directives of the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) to mutton and chicken sellers to avoid use of iron knives and hooks, the drive is yet to take off.
 Greater Kashmir during a random sampling in the markets found that no mutton or chicken sellers are adhering to the new norms.
 Pleading the case of mutton sellers, President Butchers Association Khazir Muhammad Regoo said he has already apprized the SMC that it wouldn’t be possible to use stainless steel knives because they use handmade lot.
 “Our knives and hooks are made in fire kiln at very high temperatures and we everyday sharpen them so there’s no chance of any infection,” Regoo told Greater Kashmir.
 The chicken dealers echoed similar views. “We are used to of using knives which we sharpen on stone every morning. It won’t be feasible for us to use the stainless steel lot,” said a chicken seller while slaughtering some birds with his traditional knife.
 Their views however contradict the observations of SMC Commissioner Dr GN Qasba, a doctorate in microbiology, who observes that  the rusty lot could make meat infectious.
 “Use of rusty knives is just not safe for slaughtering or chopping of meat… We need to get apace with time and shift over to stainless steel lot, which is safe,” Dr Qasba had told a fortnight back while giving an ultimatum to the mutton and chicken sellers to set their tools right by April.
 But as the two communities are yet to adhere to the SMC diktat, the order remains confined to papers alone.
 When contacted Dr GN Qasba said, the traders would have to adhere to the new directions. “We won’t allow them to continue with their archaic knives and hooks… It’s a matter of health and there can’t be any compromise. They’ll have to upgrade,” Dr Qasba told Greater Kashmir.
 He said the civic body would soon start a drive to ensure the new norms are enforced in letter and spirit.

Lastupdate on : Fri, 6 Apr 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Fri, 6 Apr 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sat, 7 Apr 2012 00:00:00 IST