VISAKHAPATNAM: Chairman of the Animal Welfare Board of India R.M. Kharb launched a pilot project on Saturday for sustained immunisation of stray dogs to check the growing incidence of rabies.

Addressing a media conference here, he said that over population of stray dogs had led to a heavy burden of rabies in the country.

At a national workshop in New Delhi last year, a decision was taken in this regard and it was now being implemented in Visakhapatnam.

Camp approach

In addition to the Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme and anti-rabies vaccine, oral vaccine would be given to the sterilised dog for a continuous period of five years by mixing it with food. This would ensure that the rabies virus was totally eliminated.

This apart, camp approach would be adopted henceforth for the ABC programme.

A team of vets and dogcatchers would reach out to the residential colonies and conduct the operation after sedating the animals.

This would eliminate the need for shifting of the stray dogs to the clinic and leaving them at the same place after sterilisation.

Female dogs would be observed for two days after sterilisation following which they would be released while males would be release the same day.

Dog population

Maj. Gen (Retd.) Kharb attributed the fast growth in stray dog population to improper solid waste disposal and management by the civic bodies.

Control of the source of food would help in controlling the population growth. He also underlined the need for sensitising the community on the issue.

Sterilisation

Replying to queries, he said that AWBI was spending Rs.4 crores a year for sterilisation of stray dogs through NGOs and the civic bodies concerned. To another query, he said that if NGOs did not work properly they could be blacklisted.

Correcting flaws

While disagreeing with the view that the ABC programme was a failure in Visakhapatnam, he admitted that the new programme was being implemented to correct the flaws in the earlier system.

Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) Commissioner Mukesh Kumar Meena said that there were an estimated 60,000 stray dogs following the re-classification of the city as Greater Visakhapatnam.

The first agreement between the Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation and Visakhapatnam Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (VSPCA) was entered in 2001.

Over 20,000 dogs were sterilised during these years and 6,000 rabid dogs were `put to sleep'.

Enlisting NGOs

Mr. Meena said that a few more NGOs could be enlisted, if necessary, to take up the ABC programme in the city.

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