The Local Self-Government department has formed a subcommittee to study and make recommendations on licensing of pig farms. The move comes at a time when pig farms have become the major destinations for transportation of food waste from the cities. The department intends to bring all pig farmers under a system of registration and licensing.
Broadly, the subcommittee will look into the criteria for licensing of pig farms and guidelines for waste management by the farms. The licensing criteria would include setback distances and number of animals permitted according to the size and location of the land. The options of making pig farms a separate category after taking them out of the category of industry is also under consideration.
With a large number of pig farms, especially the ones located in the panchayats closer to cities, playing a part in waste management, guidelines for the same will be formulated especially in the transportation and handling of food waste. Food waste has to be collected in airtight containers and covered vehicles are not to be used for transportation. Methods for scientific management of food waste as well as leachate at pig farms will be studied.
In violation of rules
For instance, in the case of the Thiruvananthapuram city Corporation, many pig farms located in adjacent panchayats used to collect waste, but inadequate facilities to process waste had caused problems for residents. In 2019, the Pollution Control Board (PCB) had issued an order to stop the transport of food waste to pig farms in the district’s outskirts, stating that the disposal of waste in pig farms and rubber plantations was in violation of Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016.
Certificate of PCB
Four years ago, the Corporation had made arrangements with 19 agencies to collect biodegradable waste. However, only 14 of them are currently involved in the process. As some of the agencies which used to handle waste did not have adequate facilities to do the same, the Corporation has now stipulated that the agencies should have a certificate from the PCB as well as clearance from the panchayat where the facility is located.
