Pig menace leaves residents fuming in Visakhapatnam

With the onset of monsoon, people fear outbreak of diseases

With garbage being dumped in open spaces and defunct water bodies, there has been an increase in pig population, which is turning out to be a menace, espcially on the outskirt areas of the city. Citizens blame the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation(GVMC) for not taking steps to control the pig menace.

Drift of pigs can be seen roaming freely and feeding on garbage piles in a number of areas at Madhurawada, Bakkannapalem, PM Palem, Pendurthi, Sujatha Nagar, Chinna Mushidiwada, Gajuwaka, Kanithi, Tunglam, Gnanapuram, Peda Gantyada, Duvvada and a few other areas in the suburban limits.

“The pigs stray onto the dumper bins and the drainage nearby. During the recent municipal staff strike, pigs have troubled us a lot. The pigs scatter the garbage in the areas where the dumper bins are placed,” said Vikram, a resident of Bakkannapalem. Some residents from Madhurawada also alleged that sometimes, pigs die at the nearby geddas, leading to foul smell, and they fear outbreak of diseases.

With the onset of monsoon, people also fear rise of diseases due to poor sanitation contributed by the pigs. “Forget about colonies, we fear to let our children play in the nearby parks and grounds, as sometimes, pigs enter the premises too. We fear that viral fevers may rise if the pig menace is not controlled,” said M. Usha, a resident of Chinna Mushidiwada.

Similarly, residents of Gnanpuram attribute unauthorised dumping of garbage in a few areas to the growing menace of pigs.

According to the statistics obtained from the Veterinary Department of the GVMC, there could be over 20,000 pigs in the city, mostly in Madhurawada and Gajuwaka regions.

Though the municipal corporation has imposed a ban on rearing of pigs in the city, even today, over 700 families from the city are involved in pig rearing for various purposes. Problem arises, as they let pigs loose to feed on garbage, creating nuisance for the people. Several complaints are being received over pig and stray dog menace in the city from the public, resident welfare association members and corporators. In the case of pig menace, the GVMC receives the most number of complaints from Madhurawada and Gajuwaka. However, there is no dedicated contact number for the public to complaint against stray animal menace.