On July 27 last year, four-year-old Jagan Anigol, a resident of Medargalli in Haveripet, of ward no.6 in Dharwad

was injured when a pig attacked him and bit his genitals. On Wednesday,
five-year-old physically challenged Vishal Doddamani of Danu Nagar was
met with similar fate. He also suffered injuries on his genitals and is
being treated at the district civil hospital.

The menace of
pigs and stray dogs has troubled citizens of the city for years and
there have been a number of accidents due to stray pigs. The decision of
the HDMC to eliminate pigs by shooting them has remained on paper. The
HDMC at its general body meeting held on July 30, 2012, had passed a resolution
unanimously to empower the Mayor and HDMC commissioner to take
appropriate action to end pig and stray dog menace within a month. It
has been seven months since the resolution was passed and pigs continue
to enjoy their free ride around the city.

A HDMC official, on condition of anonymity, however said the laws providing protection to the animals do not allow them to kill it leaving them with the only option of catching and shifting them out.

HDMC legal cell officials said it was better to prepare an action plan
to eliminate stray pigs and dogs in consultation with the Advocate
General. Though the laws meant for the protection of animals prohibit
killing them, there were provisions to kill them in case they were
afflicted by diseases, they said.

Their movement, which was
earlier confined to slums and narrow lanes in old Dharwad, is now
extended to posh localities including the Mini Vidhana Soudha premises.

Pig owners were asked to shift the pigs to a distant place away from
the city but they have not bothered to follow the orders. The threat of
shooting the pigs down has also not come true. Stray pigs are also the
main reason for the spread of dengue fever, which has already claimed 15 lives including 10 in Hubli and five in Dharwad.