Dharwad: Fed up by regular obstruction to pig catching drives, HDMC officials have decided to obtain licence to kill stray pigs.The pig catching drive hit a road block on Wednesday as pig owners obstructed the operations in Dharwad . HDMC officials had launched the drive at Ramnagar and Jambavant Nagar in ward no.17 on Wednesday morning to catch and shift pigs out of the city as a preventive measure following the outbreak of the Nipah virus in Kerala.HDMC had hired pig catchers from others parts of the state and locals to catch the pigs. As news about the drive spread, some people claiming to be the owners of the pigs, obstructed the operation.HDMC officials said that a group of 40 to 45 people thronged the operation site and created a ruckus. A heated argument took place between the officials and the pig owners for over 30 minutes.The pig owners said they would not allow HDMC to catch the pigs. HDMC officials had to halt the operation as the pig owners threatened to go on an indefinite strike along with their family members.HDMC health officer P M Biradar pig owners obstructing the pig catching operations has become a common practice.“The HDMC control room is getting complaints from scores of people to evict the pigs from their areas. We will seek a lisence to kill the stray pigs from the authorities concerned,” he said.After carrying out a survey of areas wherein pigs are more in number, the pig catching drive was launched. But, officials could not do anything due to the objection raised by pig owners.

Stay updated with all the Latest Hubli headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.