GHMC caught in dilemma on dog menace

An official says as per guidelines of Animal Welfare Board of India and Supreme Court orders, stray dogs neither can be shifted to deserted area nor abandoned on city outskirts

Hyderabad: With stringent rules related to protection and safeguarding of street dogs in place, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) officials are caught in a dilemma on how to address the issues related to street dogs menace and dog bites.

“As per guidelines of Animal Welfare Board of India and Supreme Court orders, the stray dogs neither can be shifted to a deserted area nor abandoned on city outskirts. At the same time, we keep receiving requests from residents to relocate street dogs from their colonies to another place,” said a senior GHMC official.

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Even after the Animal Birth Control-cum-Anti Rabies (ABC-AR) programme, the street dogs should be left within 100 metre radius from the pickup place as per Animal Welfare Board of India guidelines.

Meanwhile, with available resources, the GHMC has intensified its efforts to curb stray dog menace and dog bites. As a part of the exercise, the civic body officials briefed school students about safety and preventive measures against dog bites.

The other measures included distribution of pamphlets, warning meat stall owners, and holding awareness campaigns by involving resident welfare associations, slum and town level federations and self help groups. On Saturday, the awareness campaigns were held in all the 30 circles of GHMC.

The pamphlets carried measures to be adopted to prevent street dog attacks and according to officials around 10 lakh of these pamphlets will be distributed. The official said action would be initiated against meat stall owners found throwing waste in public places.

Meanwhile, the ABC-AR programme to contain the street dog population and prevent rabies disease has been intensified and the GHMC is also planning to increase the number of street dog adoptions besides ensuring adequate drinking water for them.

For more effective monitoring, Mayor G Vijaya Laxmi has appointed one officer for each zone to address stray dog related issues.