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Action initiated against pig rearers

City Bureau

It is illegal to rear pigs in the city, says Chennai Corporation Commissioner

— PHOTO: K. PICHUMANI

In pursuit: A pig being caught by Chennai Corporation workers in Chetpet on Saturday.

CHENNAI: The Chennai Corporation has initiated action against pig rearers in the city following worries of swine flu.

In the past three days, it seized 153 pigs. Corporation Commissioner Rajesh Lakhoni, however, said that the drive against pigs was not driven just by a fear of swine flu. “It is illegal to rear pigs in the city. There are about 400-500 pigs in the city.” The civic body paid Rs.80 for every pig caught to the personnel involved in the operation.

The Chennai Corporation has advised pig rearers not to allow the animals to stray. In the event of their finding this difficult, they have been asked to send the animals to slaughter houses. As per records with the civic body, there are 36 pig rearers. There is no risk of infection from consumption of well-cooked pork, he added.

The Corporation is also in the process of procuring drugs from Ranbaxy to treat swine flu, in the event of anyone being infected, Mr. Lakhoni added. It has also asked King Institute of Preventive Medicine to supply 200 testing kits.

Local bodies around Chennai are also catching pigs and have filed police complaints against those rearing pigs in residential areas.

In Avadi Municipality, pig rearers have voluntarily agreed to dispose of 260 pigs after the local body caught 63 pigs. In Maduravoyal Municipality, 30 pigs were caught from MMDA Colony, Janaki Nagar and Pallavan Nagar and let off in distant places. The Ambattur Municipality caught 115 pigs on Friday.

Officials of municipalities and town panchayats in the southern suburbs of Chennai said they were yet to receive any specific directive on swine flu preparedness. Nonetheless, they were carrying out mass cleaning and spraying of disinfectants in public places and in other areas which they considered vulnerable.

On Friday, under the direction of Health Secretary V.K. Subburaj, the Health Department officials convened a meeting with the officials of various departments including Local Administration and the Chennai Corporation.

The actions by the authorities concerned are in addition to the screening of over 3,000 passengers who arrived at the international terminal of Chennai airport, for swine flu symptoms. A team of doctors and health inspectors from Saidapet Health Unit District are on round-the-clock duty at the airport.

Quarantine has also been set up at the airport to receive persons with the symptoms, said S. Elango, Director of Public Health. “Anyone with signs of fever/cough, common cold and coming from the infected regions should get treated in a nearby hospital. Private hospitals have also been advised to notify the Health Department about such cases. People in the State have been advised not to travel to the infected countries unless there is an emergency,” he added.

So far, the World Health Organisation has declared 11 countries including Austria, Canada, China, Hong Kong, Denmark, France, Germany, Israel, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom as being infected.

“We are monitoring passengers arriving from these countries as well,” he said. Precautions include washing hands with soap, staying away from those infected and covering one’s face while coughing and sneezing. Doctors are advised to treat the symptoms and co-infections, based on international guidelines.

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