Silvester D'Souza
Daijiworld Media Network - Kundapur (SP)

Kundapur, Feb 28: In the light of alarming increase in swine flu cases in the state, health officials raided several illegally run piggery units in and around the town on Friday February 27.

The team of two health officials got involved with the raids since Friday morning, and conducted checks in several places. At Huncharbettu in B C Road here, the officials found pigs and piglets being bred in a unhygienic and risky manner.

Several piggery units function at Batrahadi in Sangam area next to national highway a little distance from Shastri Circle here. The officials are aware that effluents from these units are being directly released into the rivulet. The officials said they had noticed two piggery units in Kharvikery too, where again, the units did not have any licence, and disposal of waste was not being done in a scientific manner.

Senior health assistant, Sadananda Hebbar, and taluk junior health assistant, Ajay Bhandarkar, told the media persons that absence of any licence from the municipality, non-obtention of requisite permission from animal husbandry department, improper waste disposal, and not using mosquito nets were the general problems with the piggery units as noticed by them. They said they would prepare a detailed report on the functioning of piggery units, and submit it to the taluk health officer, municipality, and district health and family welfare officer for further steps.