Urban News

The Pioneer  23.11.2010

PNS | Dehradun

Even a fortnight after Diwali, the Municipal Corporation of Dehradun’s (MCD) drive of collecting the food samples to examine the adulteration has not reached its logical conclusion. The MCD is yet to get the report on the adulteration level in the food samples.

Ahead of Diwali, the MCD and Health Department had collected samples of food items from various city shops. Sale of adulterated food is common in Uttarakhand, however, the practice increases during festive seasons like Diwali. The MCD officials had said that the samples of dairy products would be sent to a laboratory in Solan, Himachal Pradesh. Aim of the drive was to protect as many people as possible from the possible ill-effects of consuming adulterated food items sold during the festive season. However, even a fortnight after these samples were collected, the authority has no idea about the report.

Observers say that the drive was nothing more than an official formality. Even though the State Health Department claimed that State’s first Food and Drug Laboratory has been functioning for the last one year but the ground reality is something from the reality as the food samples have been regularly sent to the neighbouring States for examinations. Besides, couple of senior Government doctors also admitted that consumption of adulterated food items attracts several fatal diseases to consumers and sometimes proved fatal to victims if not treated.

The Deccan Chronicle  23.11.2010

Nov. 22: The police have stepped up security at Venkatapura in Koramangala where depraved criminals poisoned several stray dogs and the police are patrolling the area to nab the murderers.

A post mortem was conducted on the dogs’ bodies and it was found that the dogs were in fact poisoned. “The poison haemorrhaged of all the visceral organs of the dogs and so they died,” said Dr Parvez Peeran, joint director for animal husbandry at BBMP.

Food samples have been sent to the forensic science laboratory for an analysis and meanwhile, the Madiwala police have been asked to increase patrolling in the area to nab the cold-blooded murderers who are responsible for killing the dogs.

“In fact, the dogs act as scavengers and help keep the area clean,” said Dr Peeran. The worst news is that this isn’t the first time that dogs have been poisoned in Bengaluru.

A few months ago, a few dogs died in a similar fashion at the HRBR layout. Meanwhile, Suparna Ganguly, an animal rights activist from Compassion Unlimited Plus Action (CUPA), is drafting a letter to the police commissioner to initiate a probe into the death of over 20 dogs at Madivala. “Killing dogs is an offence that is punishable under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960. A complaint will also be lodged with the Animal Welfare Board of India, a body that oversees the animal birth control programmes across the country. We were shocked to see the heaps of carcasses of dogs. Dogs provide security to the area and just recently, the dogs in the area were vaccinated. Moreover, there were no complaints of dog bites or dog menace in the area so there was no reason for such a ghastly act to be committed,” said Ms Ganguly.

“The guilty will be punished as per the Indian Penal Code and they will be imprisoned,” said Dr Peeran. Meanwhile, the Federation of Indian Animals Protection Organisation has announced a cash prize of Rs 20,000 for those who help to nab the culprits.