The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : GHMC chalks out strategy to tackle stray dog menace

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 25, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

GHMC chalks out strategy to tackle stray dog menace

Staff Reporter

Corporation moots formation of high-powered body to look into the matter

LURKING DANGER?: A stray dog moving freely on the Osmania University campus even as fear is gripping city dwellers after a couple of dog bite incidents. -- Photo: Mohd. Yousuf

HYDERABAD: Dog days are here again for Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC). It not only has to grapple with the High Court asking why compensation cannot be paid to dog bite victims but also the increased geographical distribution to tackle dog menace.

GHMC is expected to announce formation of a high-powered body to look into the entire gamut of stray dog control and reiterate its resolve to strengthen ongoing animal birth control programme as the "most effective" means to contain the canines.

The HC will be informed of the panel headed by Commissioner C.V.S.K. Sarma with Additional Commissioners, Chief Veterinary Officer, Directors of Institute of Preventive Medicine and Animal Husbandry Department, Joint Director of Veterinary Biological Research Institute, Blue Cross and People for Animals representatives.

Submission of report

It is to submit a report within three months where issues of easy availability of anti-rabies vaccine, sharing of sterilisations load and culling of dogs are expected to be discussed and come out with a new set of rules to give more space for the civic body to act.

GHMC health and sanitation wing will also talk about mass sterilisations, vaccinations, health camps, awareness programmes in slum areas and compulsory registration of pet dogs as other means.

The very mention of Rs.10,000 as compensation to dog bite victims has sent shivers down the spines of officials. "There were 50,000 dog bites registered in the city last year. We have no provision of making such payments except for collecting registration fee of Rs. 30 for which we give a token and vaccine boost worth Rs.70," said a senior GHMC official. With Greater Hyderabad, the veterinary wing is also receiving 10 to 12 distress calls from surrounding municipalities like Serilingampally, Kukatpally, L.B.Nagar, Malkajgiri, Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) and military installations everyday.

No easy solution

"Dog menace cannot be solved overnight. We need two to three vehicles and five veterinary doctors for each municipality along with 100 more labour," argues a GHMC official. Outside erstwhile MCH area, they have no dog squads at all.

A desperate SCB has sought the help of GHMC, Blue Cross and also AHF to control the 10,000 estimated stray dogs in its region. It was willing to pay Rs. 445 per dog price fixed by Animal Help Foundation (AHF), the voluntary body from Ahmedabad, which has taken up mass sterilisations, and vaccinating in areas of old Circle One.

Meanwhile, the AHF seems to be having teething problems. It has managed to operate on just 150 dogs since Friday. It is also facing resistance from locals when dogs are being released back after operations in the same locality.

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