The City Corporation is ramping up its measures to curb the rising
canine population on the streets which is becoming a bigger threat to
city residents day by day, by roping in private parties. The civic body
has invited Expressions of Interest (EoI) from parties interested in
carrying out sterilisation of stray dogs.

“Individuals or
organisations can come forward for the task. The Corporation will lay
down certain criteria for selection to which the parties will have to
abide by,” said Health Standing Committee chairperson S Pushpalatha.

After
the only veterinary surgeon got transferred, the Animal Birth Control
Programme (ABC) in the city has been in doldrums. The vacancy has not
been filled so far. As a result, the facilities for running the
programme at the Veterinary Hospital in Pettah have been lying idle. A
government team that visited the hospital in November 2013 had aired
criticism over not effectively utilising the infrastructure available.

For
some time the Corporation tried to vaccinate the dogs, but that could
not control the increasing menace caused by the street dogs.

Meanwhile,
the Sri Sathya Sai Orphanage Trust has come forward to formulate a
project to bring the increasing dog menace under control. In the absence
of veterinary doctors,  medicines required or dog catchers the Trust
has promised to undertake those measures and carry out the sterilisation
activities.

The project proposal in this regard was submitted to the City Corporation recently.