Panic grips Kashmir after seizure of rotten meat

Srinagar: Panic has gripped across Kashmir following the seizure of thousands kilograms of rotten mutton, chicken and other non-vegetarian products from various parts of the Valley over the past week, raising serious concerns about food safety and the effectiveness of regulatory oversight in the region.

The most shocking haul came on July 31, when the Food Safety Department Srinagar, in co-ordination with the Drug and Food Control Organisation (DFCO), confiscated 1,200 kilograms of decayed meat from an industrial estate in Zakura on the outskirts of Srinagar.

Officials said the meat was being stored for distribution to different areas of the Valley.

Officials said the rotten meat recovered was not in the temperature control system and there is suspension that the seized rotten meat was intended for restaurants, street food stalls and small eateries.

“This was not just a case of negligence but a criminal attempt to endanger public health,” an official involved in the raid said.

“The condition of the meat was appalling. It had clearly been stored for days, possibly weeks, in unhygienic and unregulated conditions.”

The shocking revelations have sparked public fury, with social media flooded with calls for stringent action against the culprits and better enforcement of food safety laws.

Civil society groups and residents have demanded that the government publish the names of the restaurants, meat dealers, and cold storage units involved, and take exemplary action against them.

The shocking revelations have sparked public fury, with social media flooded with calls for stringent action against the culprits and better enforcement of food safety laws. Civil society groups and religious leaders have expressed deep shock and anguish over the revelations.

Delivering his Friday sermon at the historic Jama Masjid Srinagar, Kashmir’s chief cleric and Hurriyat Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said feeding people haram (forbidden by Islamic law) or harmful food is a grave injustice.

“Such actions are a betrayal of public trust and a violation of both divine commandments, societal contract, and law,” Mirwaiz said. “Those involved must be held fully accountable and strictly penalised and punished as per law without delay.”

He also demanded strict regulation of meat sales, saying no packed meat should be allowed in markets without clear and mandatory labelling, verified cold storage details, and halal certification.

Meanwhile, the Food Safety Department said inspections are being intensified and those found guilty will face action under the Food Safety and Standards Act.

“We are taking this very seriously. Raids are ongoing and we are determined to clean up the supply chain,” an official said.

Residents, however, remain wary. “What we are eating is poison,” said Asif Ahmad, a resident of old city Srinagar. “People are scared to buy meat now. How can we trust what’s being sold when this much rotten meat was about to be supplied?”