The Indian Express 28.03.2013
City anchor: Hassled govt allocates Rs 1 crore to free city of stray dog menace
For most residents of Nyati Highlands at Kondhwa, it is fear of being bitten by stray dogs that makes them walk home with sticks or stones in their hands.
People living in Baner-Pashan Link Road are also scared of stepping outside their homes.
It is this fear that led the residents of several societies to take the matter up with the civic authorities.
Swati Jog, a resident of Nyati Highlands, a society of bungalow plots, at Kondhwa, says that crossing the road has become difficult under the watchful eyes of stray dogs who often give them chase as they try to step on the road. During early morning hours, when children are packed off to school, several of these strays chase them, Jog complained. Women, who want to take their pet dogs for a walk, are left with no option but to drive all the way to Oxford Society at Wanowrie before they can let their dogs out on the roads.
Surabhi Runwal, a post-graduate student, staying at one of the hostels at JM Road also voiced her concern about the increasing number of dogs, particularly near garbage bins. "People simply avoid that area and take a longer route to reach the hostel," she said. Meanwhile, Prashant Patil recalls how one of his family members was chased at Baner by a pack of dogs when she was entering the society around 9 pm. Every night, Chinmay Kulkarni, a resident of Orange County at Pashan has to get up at 1.30 am to the sound of the howling of dogs. "Can't something be done about it," the financial consultant asked.
The sudden rise in the number of stray dogs across the city has even had the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) checking their data on the number of sterilizations done in the last year.
According to PMC's acting deputy chief health officer Dr Anjali Sabne, it is likely that several stray dogs have come from outside the city. From April 2012 to March this year, a total of 8,204 dogs have been sterilised and vaccinated under the Animal Birth Control and Anti-Rabies Vaccination programme of the PMC. Between January and December last year, as many as 12,731 people have been bitten by dogs, she said.
From August last year the PMC has outsourced the work of sterilization and vaccination of dogs to three agencies, including the Society of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Animal Rights Fund and Blue Cross Society. The PMC spends Rs 570 for sterilization and vaccination of each dog, Sabne said and said that four dog vans have been posted at each of the four zonal offices.
According to Blue Cross administrator Michael Francis, the expanding limits of the city could have brought in more more strays from outside. Overflowing garbage bins is another reason for strays to gather within the city precincts. While he admits that there have been instances of people being chased by strays, he also said that Blue Cross takes care of sick and injured animals at their hospital in Keshavnagar, Mundhwa. Sabne also said that there is need for more kennels at the dog pound in Naidu hospital, for the dogs to be kept after sterilisation. They generally need to be kept under observation for three days.
"The PMC has allocated a sum of Rs 1 crore for setting up of two more dog pounds. We are in the process of identifying suitable locations. The Animal Birth Control programme has also been upgraded from Rs 40 to Rs 80 lakh," Sabne added.
