BHUBANESWAR: The stray dog population in the capital city reaching uncontrollable levels and the surge in dog bite cases notwithstanding, the Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme of BMC lies in limbo.
According to official records, over 4,200 people have been bitten by stray dogs and administered anti-rabies vaccine at the Capital Hospital over the last four months. This magnitude of the problem can be gauged by the fact that at least 35 people in the capital city are being attacked by the strays and suffering dog bites, requiring urgent medical intervention to protect their lives.
The 1929 help centre of Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) is also getting multiple calls and grievances related to dog bite as well as dog sterilisation and vaccination every day. But, the BMC seems to be in blissful slumber unmindful of the grave threat to the lives of the citizens.
“More than 17,022 anti-rabies vaccines have already been administered to affected people in the last four months. The vaccine is given four times to one person, meaning at least 4,255 patients have already been administered between March and June,” said a senior medical officer of Capital Hospital.
Sources said the dog bite cases are going to spike again towards the end of monsoon and during winter when the canines are more aggressive due to mating and birthing season. Despite these concerns, the BMC has not been able to start its dog sterilisation and vaccination programme from ward level.
A senior official from Animal Husbandry department, associated with BMC’s ABC drive admitted that the civic body is currently taking up the drive at institutional level as per requisition since the agency it has roped in to take up the drive at ward level doesn’t have the permission for the same from the Animal Welfare Board of India. Besides, the dog sterilisation centre at Mancheswar also failed to comply with the norms of separate cell for dogs during their sterilisation, which has affected the approval of ABC programme.
As per the last Livestock Census released in 2022, the stray dog population in Bhubaneswar was close to 40,000. The delay in implementation of the sterilisation and vaccination drive has led to an increase in their population as well as dog bite cases, admitted a BMC official.
BMC deputy commissioner for ABC Rasmirekha Pradhan couldn’t be reached for her comments.