BENGALURU: In the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike’s (BBMP) transition to Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), the ambitious dog feeding initiative has been put on hold. The BBMP had charted out a plan to feed around 4,000 stray dogs every day morning with one meal of chicken rice at an estimated cost of Rs 2.88 crore a year.
A senior official stated that when the dog feeding file was submitted to GBA Chief Commissioner M Maheshwar Rao for clearance, he indicated that it is now up to the five corporations to decide.
“During the Covid-19 pandemic, BBMP initiated feeding the community (street) dogs. As a statutory requirement, in accordance with the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023, notified by the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI), the BBMP charted a plan in July to feed street dogs.
The intention behind scheme was to reduce aggression among dogs and to reduce instances of dog bites”, the senior official said.
“As per our plan, we aimed to feed 4,000 dogs out of the estimated 2.7 lakh in the city with chicken rice, weighing 367 grams, that would provide them with 750 calories. The civic body also went ahead to identify places for the dog feeding initiative and was gearing up to float tenders. However, before that, the BBMP’s era ended and GBA was born with five corporations,” he said.
The senior official said the plan was sent for approval to GBA Chief Commissioner Maheshwar Rao, who, in turn, said the decision now has to be taken by the five corporation commissioners.
Bengaluru-based animal rights activist Arun Prasad said, “Due to door-to-door collection of garbage, the scavengers, who were dependent on leftover food, do not have a food source, and hence feeding animals under Rule 20(1) of ABC Rules 2023 is crucial for all street animals. As per the rule, if a particular community does not have any feeders, it shall be the responsibility of the Resident Welfare Association to ensure every street animal has access to food and water. In the absence of RWAs, the duty falls upon the local authority, which is GBA in Bengaluru.’
By now, the dog feeding should have commenced. Due to the GBA formation, it is delayed. All five corporations must feed street dogs immediately, he said.