Visitors to Mamallapuram are appalled by the sight of pigs roaming around the tourist town.
“We find pigs even in the parking lot meant for tourist vehicles. They can be seen foraging for food from plastic bags discarded by visitors. The presence of pigs in the tourist town with ASI monuments comes as a shocker, since one normally does not expect such animals to roam around freely,” said Vijay, who visited Mamallapuram recently.
Since the town lacks a proper solid waste management system, garbage can be found dumped on open plots. Pigs are attracted to the waste dumped in these spots. “Those who rear the pigs do not retain them inside enclosures or give them proper feed, instead just let them roam around. You can see them on the roads. They eat whatever they find, which is not necessarily healthy. And since the pigs are reared for their meat, it could cause health problems in those who consume their meat if not cooked well,” said Balan, a resident.
Residents have urged the district administration to take steps to prevent pigs from straying inside their gardens too. “They dig up the soil in our gardens, and damage the plants. If agitated, they charge at us, which is scary,” said Srinivasan, another resident.
Chengalpattu Collector A.R.Rahul Nadh said that steps were being taken to remove the pigs from the roads. “The town panchayat has been instructed to identify land for solid waste management. Notices are being issued to owners of vacant lands asking them to keep their properties fenced,” he said.
He also said that since the district had a problem of wild boars and many a times pigs reared domestically were being confused with wild boars, a committee headed by the District Forest Officer was constituted to look into the issue.
“Even during the last farmers’ grievance day, farmers had complained that their crops were damaged by boars,” he said.
