NEW DELHI: Municipal bodies will be held responsible if they fail to ensure the welfare of stray cattle, dogs, cats and monkeys, says a notice by the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI), which has also issued an advisory for tagging all animals.
“Cattle pound/‘kanji’ house should be revived/constructed with requisite infrastructure specially shelters, water, feed, animal facilities. If the authorities are not able do the same, such work may be outsourced to animal welfare organizations with the requisite financial assistance,” the AWBI order says.
The Board has said that inspection teams may visit the ‘gowshalas’ and if any violation is found, legal action would be taken against the local authority. The order stressed that efforts should be made to “tag all the animals by the concerned authority within their jurisdiction to identify the owner and fix the responsibilities”.
The letter has been sent to Gau Seva Aayogs, municipal commissioners, chief secretaries and other senior officials of all states. “Animal birth control and sterilization of animals should be properly implemented so that there is no case of dog/monkey bites causing nuisance, fear and harm to the public at large” the AWBI order added.