VISAKHAPATNAM: In a bid to put an end to the dog menace, GVMC is seriously contemplating taking up massive dog sterilisation programme here. The municipal officials are planning to conduct Animal Birth Control (ABC) operations to about 200 dogs a day with the assistance of the Animal Husbandry department. At present, the GVMC staff are struggling to sterilise 20 dogs a day.
Dog menace has become severe in the city and at least 10 cases of dog bites are reported at government hospitals here on a daily basis. In a recent incident, a toddler, G Siva, was mauled to death by a pack of stray dogs at Harbour Park. The incident resulted in public outrage over stray dog menace prompting the GVMC staff to launch a drive to catch rabid dogs and put them to sleep besides taking up a sterilisation drive. However, it was short-lived due to staff crunch. Currently, the GVMC has less than 10 staff members, including a veterinary doctor to perform sterilisations.
To find a permanent solution, the GVMC has proposed to launch a massive sterilisation drive and proposals have been forwarded to the Municipal Administration and Urban Development department. Under the programme, the GVMC will rope in the staff of the Animal Husbandry department as well as some non-government organisations to conduct at least 200 ABC operations everyday.
While the GVMC would provide necessary infrastructure, the Animal Husbandry department and the NGOs will deploy staff to catch the dogs and perform sterilisation operations besides taking care of them for four days after the operation. “We will utilise the available land belonging to the NGOs as well as the veterinary hospitals in the city including those at Pendurthy and other areas to build kennels to house the dogs after the operation for the mandatory four days. Other infrastructure also will be provided at these places to perform the sterilisations,” said GVMC commissioner Pravin Kumar.
As per the revised rate of sterilisation operation at `600 a dog, the GVMC has to shell out about `1.8 crore towards the drive.