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Residents blame LMC inaction for pig menace
The LMC has a lot of excuses when it comes to giving explanations about their failure in managing the pig menace in the city. LMC must do more than what it is doing now to keep the city free from pigs, say residents. They allege LMC is talking about the issue only after pigs have started dying of a mysterious disease
Lucknow After the deaths of a number of pigs in Faizullahganj, residents have blamed the Lucknow Municipal Corporation for not catching pigs despite repeated requests.
They have blamed the inaction of the LMC for the rising pig menace in various corners of city. However, LMC officials have their own explanations for their failure to control the population of pigs and stray dogs in the city. They are now talking about establishing a pig colony as per the recommendation of the SC/ST Commission.
Director, Animal Welfare, Lucknow Municipal Corporation, Dr Arvind Kumar Rao said, “The problem arises from interference of various organisations and NGOs. The LMC stopped catching pigs after the letter from the SC/ST Commission for establishing a separate pig colony on the pattern of the cattle colony. The letter says that the LMC should try not to harass those who keep pigs as most of them are from the SC and ST community.”
Despite the outside pressures, the LMC has caught more than 800 stray animals from roads during the past two months and around 500 dogs have been caught for sterilisation.
However, animal rights activist Kavita Das said, “The LMC has a lot of excuses when it comes to giving explanations about their failure in managing the pig menace in the city. LMC must do more than what it is doing now to keep the city free from pigs.”
Roop Kumar Sharma of Gomti Nagar Jalkalyan Mahasamiti said,“Pig menace is reported even from the colonies like Indira Nagar and Gomti Nagar extension besides Chinhat, Ismailganj , Faizullahganj and Alambagh, but LMC never bothered to catch pigs from these areas. Today when pigs have started dying of a mysterious disease, they are talking about the pig menace in the city.”
Additional municipal commissioner Pankaj Singh said , “LMC has done a lot for controlling stray animal menace. It has posed a penalty of ₹1.52 lakh on the owners of pets for letting them litter the road or keeping them without license. Similarly, it has caught more than 800 stray animals. The LMC has kept them at Kanha Upvan.”
