In a meeting on Tuesday, the Pune municipal corporation has approved a fund of Rs 73.60 lakh for dealing with the rising number of pigs in the city.
Yogesh Mulik, standing committee chairman, said that the number of stray pigs in the city has been increasing consistenty, creating nuisance for residents.
The pig menace is mainly seen in Hadapsar, Sadesatara Nali, and Ambegaon area. As even many suburban areas face the pig menace, PMC has also decided to appoint designated the ‘pig catchers’. PMC will pay Rs 1,148 for each pig whose weight is more than 10kg, and will pay Rs 500 for the pigs with a weight below 10kg.
Mulik added that PMC has appointed a firm called Mayur Pigari for catching stray pigs.
The PMC chairman said that PMC had made a budgetary provision of Rs 48 lakh for catching stray pigs last year. The firm had caught a total 5,308 pigs last year. He added that pigs also damage many drainage lines in the city.
PMC had tried to curb the pig menace using with their own employees, but were not able to execute it effectively. Even the owners of pigs attacked PMC officials over their ineffective drive.