A. Hemavathy avoids sending her children out to play in the evenings. But, if they insist, she accompanies them.
“We are helpless,” she says. “Droves of pigs are a common sight in the colony that you cannot leave children out there to play alone. Sometimes, they follow the kids,” said Hemavathy, a resident of Second Street at Pananthope Railway Colony, Ayanavaram.
The colony has 12 streets and residents say pigs, cattle and dogs are a serious problem here. However, pig menace tops the list of complaints in railway colonies. There are many complaints from colonies with canals flowing near them as pigs are often found there in large numbers, posing a health hazard.
PT Railway Colony Residents Welfare Association has made many complaints to the Southern Railway but no long-term solution has been found yet, say residents.
“A year ago, there was a drive in the colony to catch the pigs but after a few weeks they were all back. The owner must have paid a fine to have them released,” says an executive member of the Association.
The stray dog menace is equally troublesome. Recently, an engineer at Panathope Colony was bitten by a dog while he was on inspection. “I had to take six injections after the dog bit me,” said the engineer.
The Association has made a number of suggestions to the Railway.
“We want to restrict entry to the colony. Currently, there is an opening in all the 12 streets. Entrances at third and 10 street can be kept open, while the rest must be closed,” says C. Krishnamoorthy, general secretary of the Association. They also want cattle barriers to be placed to prevent cattle and dogs from entering the colonies.
Pig menace has been curbed at ICF Colony after cattle barriers were placed, said residents.
A senior official of the Southern Railway agreed that they received complaints; and that they need to coordinate with Chennai Corporation to curb the menace.
