With complaints on stray horses and pigs pouring in from citizens, the City Municipal Corporation has ordered stringent action against persons breeding the animals within the city limits.

Violation

Though a ban on rearing pigs was already in force, no action was taken against the violators so far. But now there was an increase in problems created by stray animals on roads and near dump yards. Official sources said that there could be around 1,500 pigs in the city with the maximum present in the Ammapet Zone.

Though the persons who rear these animals were asked to move their farms out of the city earlier, pigs continue to roam freely on the streets. Similarly, movement of stray horses on arterial roads disrupts traffic.

Corporation Commissioner M. Ashokan told The Hindu that persons rearing pigs would be asked to move the pig farms out of the city limits. “Horses or pigs found on roads will be impounded and their owners fined,” he added.

Section 350 and 351 of Salem Corporation Act, 1994, specifically bans pig farming within the corporation limits. Rearing any animal within city limits is banned under Section 41 (3) of Tamil Nadu Public Health Act, 1939.