BANGALORE: The Government has directed the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to start animal birth control programme in the new areas (of the erstwhile city municipal councils and the town municipal council) from March 27.

At a meeting convened to discuss the stray dog menace, Chief Secretary P.B. Mahishi directed BBMP Commissioner K. Jairaj to deploy the services of a team from Ahmedabad, headed by Rahul Saigal, to conduct the programme using "Trap, Neuter and Release" (TNR) technique on a pilot basis for 8,000 dogs.

According to a press release, the civic body has started work on setting up three new dog pounds at a cost of Rs. 30 lakh.

These pounds would be ready by March 25. The dog-catching drive and the birth control programme would be intensified after that, the release said.

Mr. Mahishi also directed the BBMP health officials to issue pet licences in all the 30 ranges from March 20. To clear misconceptions about stray dogs among people and also to create awareness about precautions against dog-bites, the officials and non-governmental organisations have been directed to conduct workshops and meetings with members of residents welfare associations.

Compact discs

A group of animal rights activists on Tuesday met Governor T.N. Chaturvedi and submitted compact discs containing footage of stray dogs being culled in Mandya district.

They complained to the Governor that the Mandya Municipal Council had hired the services of the Malabar team to catch the dogs and kill them by injecting poison. Then the carcasses were dragged and dumped in the most inhuman way, the activists told the Governor.

The Governor reportedly expressed shock over the incident and assured action in the matter.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail