Shift pigs from town: CMC

Precautions like clearing the stagnant water and fogging undertaken

With the threat of swine flu attack all over the world, the City Municipal Council has asked the pig rearers to either cull them or shift them out of the town.

 Though there is no direct threat from the pigs, this step has still been taken.

CMC commissioner Saeeda Nilofur Zubeen addressing reporters said in the light of the threat of swine flu,  a lot of importance was being given to keep the places where the garbage dump yards clean.

The daily cleaning is going on under the supervision of Environmental engineer Mohan Kumar, senior assistant superintendent Rajashekar, Ramesh and Vasanth, she said.

The pigs that are reared move all over the twon and destroy the environment which might cause the spread of swine flu. Hence, a notice has been spread on the owners of the pigs to shift them at least 5 km out of the town limits in an uninhabited place, said Zubeen.

All precautionary measures like cleaning programme, sprinkling bleaching powder, mosquito repellents and fogging have been taken. Also the officials have been asked to clear the stagnant drainage water, she said.

She urged the pig rearers to gather information regarding swine flu from the Health department or the CMC. Besides, the CMC officials have been asked to collect information by moving around the slums where the pigs are reared and take precautionary steps, she said.

Appeal for public

Zubeen appealed to the public on the occasion to follow the keep clean city act compulsorily. She appealed to the public not to throw garbage in private sites, drainage and on the road and instead throw them in the dustbins or wheelbarrows.

The garbage produced in the hotels should not be given to the pig owners and they should not throw them on the road but give it to garbage collection vans. If they failed to do this, action would be taken according to law, she warned.

If the pigs live in stagnated water, this should be brought to the notice of the CMC.
If the drainage starts leaking the public should file a complaint at the 24-hours complaint department, appealed Zubeen to the public.

Precautionary measures

Swine flu is a epidemic which spreads through breathing. The spread of this flu has already been reported all over the world. However, in our country not a single incidence has been reported so far. The main symptoms of this flu are fever, cough, cold, headache, sore throat, body ache and breathing trouble.

The flu spreads to a healthy person when a affected person coughs or sneezes. It will not spread if one eats pork meat. If it is cooked at 70 degrees centigrade, the bacteria will be killed. The infected person will spread the flu in the first five days. The children will be infected for ten days. 

Control

The disease can be controlled by taking a few steps. After going out in the public places and coming back, the hands must be washed with soap or used alcohol based liquids to wash the hands. While coughing or sneezing, handkerchiefs must be compulsorily used. Large gathering of people has also been banned, she said.