A pig farm in Chongming island is facing closure after being found to have more than the permitted number of animals and for the improper handling of its waste, the local environmental protection bureau said yesterday.
The current operators took over the farm, near the village of Baoxi, about a year ago and quickly expanded the number of livestock to more than 1,700, from about 500 previously, the Xinmin Evening News reported.
Under local rules, farms with more than 500 pigs have to undergo an environmental evaluation to ensure they comply with the rules on the handling of waste, the report said.
According to residents, the farm's owners regularly dump unprocessed manure into a river and within a community orchard.
"The stink is so bad, we have to have the windows closed all the time, and even then you can still smell it," a local woman was quoted as saying.
"You can't eat because of the stench," said another.
As well as the huge piles of manure festering in the orchard, another resident was quoted as saying he once saw a dead pig lying beside a tree.
Locals said the pig farm has been in operation for many years and that prior to the new owners taking over there hadn't been any problems.
A member of the Baoxi neighborhood committee said the environmental protection bureau had twice sent teams to investigate the farm, but that no action was taken.
The farm will now be closed down and the operators will likely face an administrative punishment, he said.
