Port Blair, Sept. 26: In what residents are calling a long-overdue move, the Municipal Council has sounded the bugle against an unlikely urban menace—pigs roaming freely across city streets. From blocking traffic to fouling up neighbourhoods, these animals have become a daily nuisance in several localities, sparking serious public health concerns.
Areas like Delanipur, Prem Nagar, Goal Ghar, Middle Point, Junglighat, Phoenix Bay, Buniayadabad and Brookshabad have borne the brunt of the problem, with residents complaining of foul odours, damage to civic infrastructure, and a surge in unhygienic conditions. The sight of pigs scavenging near garbage dumps and drains, they say, has turned once-bustling neighbourhoods into unsanitary zones.
Health experts warn that the threat goes beyond mere inconvenience. Pigs often carry dangerous pathogens such as swine flu virus, leptospirosis bacteria and tapeworm larvae, posing serious risks to human health. Their presence near open drains and garbage piles helps spread disease-causing vectors like flies and mosquitoes—raising fears of outbreaks of dengue, malaria and diarrhoeal illnesses.
Road users, too, have been at risk. Stray pigs have been blamed for several traffic disruptions, causing congestion and even minor accidents in the city’s crowded junctions.
Determined to tackle the issue head-on, the Municipal Council has ordered the immediate removal or relocation of all pig sheds, pens or enclosures within residential areas to the designated pig shed in Brookshabad. Owners have been given a three-day deadline to comply. “Any failure to follow these directions will leave us with no choice but to seize and relocate the animals at the owners’ cost,” the Council warned, adding that it would not be responsible for any loss or damage to the pigs during such operations.
Residents have also been urged to cooperate by reporting those who continue to rear pigs within municipal limits. Officials stressed that keeping the city clean is a shared responsibility that requires collective effort.
The crackdown, officials say, is aimed at improving sanitation, curbing health hazards, easing traffic and enhancing the overall quality of life in the city. “A clean city isn’t just the duty of the authorities—it’s everyone’s responsibility,” a Council spokesperson said. This decisive action is expected to offer much-needed relief to residents who have long complained about the unregulated pig menace.
