26th September, 2010
To
Shri K.S. Mehra IAS
Commissioner of the M.C.D.
Town Hall
Copies to :
Shri Rakesh Mehta IAS
And
Smt. Sheila Dixit
SUBJECT : DOGS DISPLACED FROM DELHI, DUMPED AT, AND REAPPEARING AT NOIDA AND OTHER OUTSKIRTS
Dear Sir,
I am a resident of Sector 15-A, one of the premium sectors of Noida, for the last 20 years. Location-wise, it is very close to Delhi, since it is very close to the entrance to Noida.
I am an Advocate by profession, and deeply interested in animal welfare, as are some neighbors of mine, including senior retired bureaucrats. Together, we had managed to achieve 100% sterilization and vaccination of the community dogs within our Sector. We have also got the dogs in adjoining areas, such as the road outside the Sector, the green belt and park, etc. sterilized and vaccinated. We get these dogs fed and tended to, and can claim that we know and recognize the dogs.
In the last approximately 15 days however, 7 to 8 completely new and rather traumatized dogs have surfaced in the Sector. At least one security guard posted at one of the gates to the Sector claims he’d seen an ‘official looking’ vehicle dump the dogs in the vicinity.
Nevertheless, I was initially of the view that the displacement could be the result of the incessant rain in the past few days, and construction activity all around. However, I am now tending to veer around to the wide-spread belief that MCD / NDMC vehicles are indeed displacing dogs – in a desperate bid perhaps, to look more “beautiful” than we actually are. Reports of missing dogs, and new and strange dogs appearing in the territories on the outskirts of Delhi, abound of late ; and many persons are willing to vouch that MCD vehicles are picking up even sterilized dogs, and speeding them away to undisclosed destinations.
Sir, kindly advise your cadres, that for a few days of Commonwealth Games and trying to pretend that we are that which we are not, it is criminal to be jeopardizing and putting into quandary, Delhi’s animal birth control and rabies control endeavor. Additionally, they are inconveniencing the residents of the areas where the poor hapless animals are being dumped. Worst of all, they are subjecting the animals to mindless, senseless cruelty, traumatizing them, and probably rendering them hostile to humans eventually. In fact, it is precisely as a result of this sort of unintelligent and short-sighted conduct that dog bites and other dog related ‘nuisance’ occurs.
Anjali Sharma
Hiranmay Karlekar