LMC gets UPHRC notice, to step up animal birth control programme

LUCKNOW: The Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) has prepared a strategy to step up its animal birth control progamme and lodge FIR against anyone who interferes in this work. Civic officials took a decision in this regard after Uttar Pradesh Human Rights Commission (UPHRC) chairman Justice Balakrishna Narayana issued a notice to the municipal commissioner over the stray dog attack that led to the death of a fiveyear-old boy Reza in Musahibganj here on Wednesday.

Former judge of the Allahabad high court, Justice Narayana directed the municipal commissioner to probe the incident and submit his report within a week.

In order to check stray canine menace, LMC experts were studying the dog attacks in Sitapur where many kids were killed in May 2018.

“To counter dog menace in the city, LMC officials will take help of experts and implement animal birth control programme aggressively. The civic body will also lodge FIR against those who cause hindrance in their work. All the directives of the high court and human rights commission would be followed,” said Dr Arvind Rao, director, animal welfare (LMC). “The LMC cannot remove dogs from streets, it can sterilise and leave them at the same place. Some NGOs and animal rights activists keep interfering in our work of dog catching,” he added.

He said: “We are also trying to take help from experts who will suggest ways of limiting dog population as per rules.”

Municipal commissioner Ajay Dwivedi said, “The LMC has caught 45 dogs from Musahibganj, Hussainabad, Muftiganj and Daulatganj. Two of the canines showed violent characteristics and have been kept in different enclosures.”

He said, “The LMC will lodge FIR against anyone who creates hindrance in the work of animal catching squads. The civic body cannot allow kids to die on roads. The progress of Animal Birth Control programme would be monitored daily.”