BHUBANESWAR: In the wake of the Supreme Court’s directives on tackling the stray dog menace, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Friday announced to conduct a census of canines in the city and roll out an effective animal birth control (ABC) drive to contain their population.
“The civic body will start the census programme very soon to enumerate all the stray dogs in Bhubaneswar. The ground work for the purpose has already been completed. The exercise will go underway immediately after the monsoon,” said mayor Sulochana Das.
Das said currently, the stray dog population in the capital city is estimated to be around 80,000. However, their exact number will be known after the census is over.
The census will help the civic body in formulating an effective strategy for their control and management including making proper arrangements, manpower and facilities for catching and sterilising them. This apart, BMC will also be able the assess the need of shelters and make adequate provisions, Das said.
As part of the exercise, she said, the BMC will tag all the dogs and keep a digital record of their sterilisation, vaccination, territory along with other details to regularly monitor their health status.
On pet dogs, the mayor said, the civic body has already drafted Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (Registration and Proper Control of Dogs) by-law in November 2022. The by-law has provisions for registration of pet dogs, providing details of their vaccination and health, which will strengthen pet regulation in the city, she said.
“The by-law is pending with the Housing and Urban Development department for its approval to be implemented as a law. If it is enforced we will also be able to know details about the number of pet dogs in the city and their owners,” she said.