‘Stray’ pigs spark fear among Amritsar residents

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, August 16

Pigs roaming around in the city and feeding on garbage heaps are not stray animals as they have owners who have found a way of their rearing them for their vested interests without spending a penny.

Though the Municipal Corporation does not allow rearing a buffalo or a cow in the city, some residents have resorted to rearing pigs. It was around two years ago that the MC had caught around 30 pigs from posh areas of the city.

Residents complained that the MC must take action against owners of the pigs in the city as they have been risking the life of people. They complained that while the owners of the pigs were residing in posh areas, they had to bear the brunt of the swines in their localities.

However, the residents of areas as Islamabad, inner localities or Chehharta, localities alongside railway tracks where certain people have been rearing pigs are the most troubled. “We cannot file a complaint with the police or other authorities as this work attracts the ire of the pig owners,” said a resident of Inderpuri. He said besides, the authorities do not take such complaints seriously.

The pigs can also been seen roaming in streets and scattering garbage heaps while looking for food. “The owners must tame such animals and feed them. It causes inconvenience to us,” said another resident Sujata Kumari. She added that the fear of animlas had restricted the movement of their kids. The residents complained that the pigs are often a cause of road accidents especially involving two wheeler riders. A resident of Islamabad areas said he had been badly injured due to the menace in a road accident three years ago and was severely injured.

The residents demanded that all pigs should be removed from the city and their owners should be identified. “We already are facing problem due to stray cows and dogs. To add to it, some people are rearing pigs illegally. Authorities seem to have turned deaf to our demands,” said another resident Joginder Singh.