Homes turn hotbeds for illegal pig supply

Pigs are bred at houses illegally and supplied to city hotels

More facts have come to light about the sale of pork in the twin cities after the raid on pig-oil producing units recently.

The meat sold in the city and supplied to many hotels is not sourced from legitimate slaughterhouses or farms but from homes where individuals breed pigs. This is prohibited under the GHMC Act.

The Erukala community runs the business. A pig sells for around `2,000 and the price per kilo of pork is around `250-300.

Gowliguda, Ramakrishnapuram, Sultan Shai, Ambeerpet and Musheerabad are hubs for pig breeders. The animals are slaughtered at home and the flesh sold to stores in Medchal, Kompally, Secunderabad, Clock Tower and in some parts of the Old City.

The GHMC does not permit piggeries within city limits. Unlike mutton, which has to be approved for consumption by the GHMC, pork does not undergo any tests or checks to see if it is fit for consumption.

The pig business can be fairly lucrative as investment and maintenance are low and a litter can yield eight to 12 piglets.

A source from the Erukala community revealed that each household raises up to 15 pigs, that are fed on fodder and leftover hotel waste.

Pigs litter twice a year, and once a piglet is four months old, it is ready for consumption.

Under the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation Act, breeding pigs in houses is illegal and the owners can be prosecuted. "If the public is facing any nuisance due to pig slaughtering they should complain to the GHMC,” said Goverdhan Reddy, veterinary officer of the GHMC.