http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/committee-to-monitor-stray-sterilization/articleshow/56942808.cms
NAGPUR: Over the years, sterilization of stray dogs has been a complete failure in the city despite repeated directives from the judiciary.
Following norms laid by the Animal Welfare Board of India(AWBI), the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC), has now constituted a special committee to monitor Animal Birth Control(ABC) operations in the city.
The seven-member committee, consisting of additional deputy municipal commissioner, district animal husbandry deputy commissioner, dean of Government Veterinary College, NMC’s health officer and members of People For Animals (PFA), Indian Society For Animal Human Welfare and Green Vigil Foundation.
The committee is expected to make the sterilization process more efficient and transparent. ABC operations, which have commenced from January 3 in association with Government Veterinary College, are being performed at the government veterinary hospital at Alankar square.
As a single centre is not sufficient for operating the city’s dog population which allegedly has increased to nearly a lakh, one of the main agendas of the committee will be starting-up more centres. “The purpose of ABC will not get solved till ward-wise sterilization is done. At least ten centres are needed in the city,” said PFA city chief Karishma Galani.
During her recent visit, union minister and animal rights leader Maneka Gandhi had also expressed concern over lack of transparency in the sterilization process. TOI too had repeatedly reported about AWBI slamming NMC for not following proper methodology while conducting ABC operations. Last year, NMC was given strict instructions by the board to form a monitoring committee which will ensure the due prescribed procedure is followed to control dog population.
A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by activist Ankita Shah is also being heard by the Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court. Seeing no end to the stray dog menace in the city, Shah had moved to the judiciary demanding compensation for victims of dog-bites and resuming Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme immediately and continue it till the dog population is evidently controlled.
Kaustav Chatterjee, founder of Green Vigil Foundation, said, “We will take efforts to raise awareness about the ABC programme.”
Hiranmay Karlekar