Birth control yet to put a leash on stray dog menace in state capital
Experts pin blame on ‘faulty’ birth control programme, point out that stray canine population growing
It’s purely a faulty birth control programme since it is an unscientific way of controlling the menace. It will show results only when it is performed in the scientific way KAVITA DAS, a city-based animal rights activist
Humane International Society India has performed around 35,000 sterilizations of dogs since April 5 ,2019. LMC has paid around ₹3.5 crore to HSI for performing the surgeries DR ARVIND RAO, director (animal welfare), LMC
: The civic authorities here seem to have failed in curbing the stray dog menace, so much that the canine population is growing by leaps and bounds, according to experts.
The recent incident in which a five-year-old boy died and his eight-year-old sister was seriously injured after a pack of stray dogs attacked them in Lucknow’s Musahibganj area highlights the threat to locals.
They say the situation gives rise to the question as to what the agencies concerned have done to tame the stray dog menace.
Some senior officials and experts say the answer to all queries lies with the ‘faulty’ animal birth control programme that was launched to check the stray dog population that has already touched the 75,000-mark (as per official statistics).
Lucknow has one animal birth control centre that is being operated by a USA-based NGO— Humane Society International. As per records, the NGO, until the Musahibganj incident, used to sterilize 30 to 45 dogs a day against their capacity to sterilize 100 canines daily.
Some officials and experts said this is where the problem lies.
Kavita Das, a city-based animal right activist, said, “It’s purely a faulty birth control programme since it is an unscientific way of controlling the menace. It will show results only when it is performed in a scientific way. If you keep on sterilizing 200 dogs per day, but 400 more are born in a day, then the animal birth control programme would be futile. Hence, the LMC
should change their strategy.”
“They should mark one area, pick up all the dogs and sterilize them. Officials should make sure that they sterilize 100 per cent dogs before moving on to another area. This is how they may change the grim picture,” said Das.
Another expert VK Joshi, however, is of a different opinion. Joshi said the animal birth control programme is a complete failure, not only in Lucknow, but also in other parts of the country.
“The animal birth control programme contravenes all Indian state municipal Acts, which are more practical as they mandate the removal of stray animals from streets and public places, both for the protection of people and animals. India has 33% of the rabies cases in the world which is by far the highest number. India is followed by the African nation Congo,” Joshi said.
Lucknow Municipal Corporation officials said since April 5, 2019, the NGO claims to have sterilized around 35,000 dogs.
“Humane Society International India has performed around 35,000 sterilizations of dogs since April 5 ,2019. LMC has paid around Rs 3.5 crore to HSI for performing the surgeries. LMC has also spent hefty amount in providing infrastructure, like place, power, telephone and salaries for the success of the animal birth control programme,”
said Dr Arvind Rao, director (animal welfare), LMC.
Besides, LMC claims to have converted a building at the shooting range into a make-shift sterilization centre.
“After the intervention of the high court and Human Rights Commission in the recent Musahibganj (incident), the capacity of the birth control centre in Jarhara has been increased to 100 dogs a day. Also, we have converted a building at the shooting range into another birth control centre where we recently performed 25 sterilizations. This will increase gradually. Our aim is to sterilize more than 150 dogs a day,” he said. “At the shooting range birth control centre, the dogs will be kept for five days before they are dropped back to the place from where they were picked up,” he added.
Lucknow municipal commissioner Ajay Dwivedi assured relief. So far, around 35,000 dogs have been sterilized and the rest would be sterilized in the days to come, he said. He said the dogs would be caught and brought to these centres where they would be sterilized.
They would be kept here for four days, provided medicines , care and food. After that, they would be left at the place from where they were caught.
He said experts perform the sterilization through the laparoscopic technique that requires minimum incision and the recovery of the dogs is immediate. According to the Lucknow Municipal Corporation records, there were 75,678 dogs in the city limits till December 2019.
The data further suggests that 90% of dogs have been sterilized in zone numbers 7, 4, 1 and 8 of the LMC. The sterilization process is on in other zones. Despite the figures, the situation on the ground remains one of concern.