U.T. residents complain of pig menace

Residents in some urban and suburban parts of Puducherry are facing rampant pig menace that is raising concerns of a potential spread of zoonotic diseases.

The pig population has increased in Uzhavarkarai, Kamaraj Nagar, Lakshmi Nagar and Krishna Nagar areas. They roam around foraging for food and dirty the streets. Residents fear that the rise in numbers could pose health risks as they are not bred in a scientific manner. They wallow in drains for long hours and sometimes even enter residential premises.

Ganesh Kumar, a resident of Pitchaveeranpet near Moolakulam, said that in one year the population of pigs has increased drastically. “During night and morning hours, it creates a huge nuisance in our locality. Sometimes the animals enter our homes and take away food items. Children are scared to and they are not able to play in open places,” he said.

His friend Ramesh said, residents are also concerned about the health risk the animal poses. “They easily mix with dogs and even eat food left over by dogs. Sometimes, dogs chase the pigs and both the animals get injured,” he said.

Commissioner of Oulgaret Municipality A. Suresh Raj said the problems posed by pigs have been brought to the knowledge of the civic body. The local body has issued a public notice asking breeders to come forward for owning the animal.

“We have not able to find the owners. The pigs roam around on their own and feed on garbage. These animals have to be bred in closed enclosures and should not be let out freely. If people don’t come forward to own the pigs, we will have to start a drive to catch them,” he added.

Director of Health and Family Welfare Department G. Sriramulu said the unscientific way of breeding the animal could pose health risk to humans. “They could host the causative virus for Japanese Encephalitis. Though we don’t have any health issues due to pigs as of now, the unscientific way of rearing the animal could pose health risks,”’ he said.

Professor of Preventive and Social Medicine at JIPMER Sonali Sarkar said, pigs could be a public health hazard for vector borne diseases such as Japanese Encephalities, where they serve as an amplifier host. “This means that the pigs harbour the disease causing virus but do not suffer from the disease itself. They help in rapid multiplication of the virus and further spread through bites of mosquitoes. When pigs live in residential areas, the virus could be easily transmitted to humans. The animal could also serve as reservoirs of various types of influenza virus and possible rise to newer virulent strains.,” she said.