The practice of discarding dead pigs into the environment and water sources continues.
In recent days, people in many localities in Nghe An province have been worried and upset about the indiscriminate dumping of dead pigs into the environment. Not only does this cause serious pollution, but it also poses a risk of spreading disease on a large scale if not properly addressed.
Dead pigs were found floating on the Dao River.
On the morning of July 16th, residents of Yen Thanh commune were shocked to discover numerous dead pigs and sacks of pigs floating along a 6km stretch of the Dao River, extending down to Giai Lac and Dong Thanh communes. This is the main canal supplying water for daily life and irrigation to tens of thousands of households in the area.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Ngan, a resident living along the canal, shared her frustration: “The Dao River is our livelihood. Yet recently, many pig carcasses have been dumped into it, decomposing and emitting a strong, foul odor. Some even get stuck in the drains. It's extremely unsanitary and dangerous.”
Faced with this serious situation, the People's Committee of Yen Thanh commune mobilized functional forces to be on duty at hotspots to collect the dead pigs, even using excavators to retrieve the carcasses and trailers that had been pushed into the river. All the dead pigs were then disposed of according to proper sanitation and epidemiological procedures.
The practice of discarding pig carcasses into the environment is believed to be a consequence of the severe outbreak of African swine fever in many communes. For example, in Giai Lac commune, since the beginning of July, the disease has spread to 23 out of 34 hamlets, forcing authorities to cull 1,150 pigs. However, only 442 pigs were fully registered and vaccinated, indicating that many livestock farmers have not strictly complied with disease prevention and control regulations.
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Ms. Nguyen Thi Van, Chairwoman of the Giai Lac Commune People's Committee, acknowledged that disease prevention efforts face many difficulties: a shortage of veterinary personnel, limited funding, a large geographical area, and a segment of the population remaining complacent, lacking awareness of reporting outbreaks, and even secretly dumping pig carcasses into the environment to avoid disposal without receiving compensation.
In response to this situation, the Giai Lac commune authorities promptly implemented comprehensive measures such as: collecting and disposing of pig carcasses, spreading lime powder, spraying disinfectant, organizing public announcements, declaring the outbreak, and establishing a disposal team. Households were instructed to immediately report any dead pigs to the authorities for timely handling.
Besides affecting residents, the presence of pig carcasses and household waste also puts significant pressure on the irrigation systems in the localities. According to a representative of the Quynh Luu Irrigation Enterprise, dozens of workers are deployed daily to remove floating animal carcasses and waste from canals such as N13 (Quynh Son commune), Cheo Pheo sluice gate, and Song Thai sluice gate (Quynh Luu commune).""This job not only requires a lot of manpower but also poses a risk of spreading disease if not handled promptly," a representative from the unit warned.
Stronger sanctions and stricter controls are needed.
In response to this alarming situation, on July 15th, the People's Committee of Nghe An province issued urgent dispatch No. 20/CD-UBND, requesting localities to focus on directing and mobilizing forces to completely eliminate African swine fever outbreaks, strengthen supervision, and establish mobile inspection teams to detect and handle violations of disease prevention regulations.
The official dispatch clearly states: The chairpersons of the People's Committees of communes and wards will be held responsible if disease outbreaks occur and spread, causing serious consequences. People are absolutely forbidden from concealing outbreaks or discarding dead animals into the environment..
It is time for authorities at all levels to take strict action and impose specific penalties for violations in disease prevention and control, especially the act of discarding animal carcasses into the environment. At the same time, it is necessary to strengthen public awareness campaigns, provide technical support and financial assistance to people during the process of disposal and vaccination, minimizing losses for livestock farmers.
Only with decisive and coordinated efforts from the government, specialized forces, and the people can Nghe An effectively control the disease, ensuring environmental safety, public health, and the livestock industry.
