BERHAMPUR: Residents of Gosaninuagaon in Berhampur staged a protest on Sunday by blocking the main road over the authorities’ alleged callousness in checking the growing stray dog menace.
The agitation followed a fresh incident on Sunday, in which stray dogs bit five persons, including an elderly woman, in the area. Aggrieved residents staged a road blockade by burning tyres, disrupting traffic movement for several hours.
Local corporator Dhiresh Sabat said, “Pedestrians are falling prey to stray dog attacks almost every day. In the current week alone, over 20 persons have been injured in stray dog attacks.”
The protesters later submitted a memorandum to the Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BeMC), following which traffic resumed after officials assured them of appropriate action.
The stray dog menace in Berhampur has intensified in recent months, leading to frequent incidents. Residents have blamed the unchecked rise in the stray dog population on the failure to implement the Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme effectively. Although BeMC has claimed that the ABC programme would be restarted, it is yet to begin.
Despite daily animal bite cases being reported across the city, no concrete measures have been implemented so far, triggering public anger.
BeMC officials, however, stated that the responsibility of sterilising stray dogs in the city has been awarded through an open tender to a Bengaluru-based organisation, ‘Ashra’. However, even after two months of the tender being finalised, the sterilisation process has not commenced, resulting in a further rise in stray dog numbers and bite cases.
According to BeMC sources, the delay was due to the construction of kennels required to house dogs post-sterilisation. While 20 kennels earlier existed on the premises of the district veterinary hospital, 80 additional kennels have now been constructed.
The concerned organisation has been called for discussions, after which tagging and sterilisation of stray dogs will begin, the sources said.
As per the conditions, the organisation will spend Rs 2,000 per dog for medicine, food, sterilisation, and the entire process, from capturing the dog to releasing it back at the same location. BeMC has also arranged for the appointment of a doctor, an attendant, and a livestock inspector to supervise the sterilisation, feeding, and medication of stray dogs.