New Delhi: As Delhi prepares to host
Commonwealth Games next year, problem of around three lakh
dogs roaming freely on the streets is set to pose a big
challenge to the state authorities.
Busy in completing the infrastructural projects for the
mega sports event, the civic agencies are yet to chalk out a
concrete policy to deal with the menace.
The situation is alarming as last year various government
hospitals in the city reported about 35,000 cases of dog bite
and 20 people died of rabies. Every day, the NDMC-owned Charak
Palika Hospital at Moti Bagh gets at least 14 cases of animal
bite of which dog bites top the list.
It is a cause of great concern as a victim is doomed to
die after he/she is tested positive with rabies.
However MCD Commissioner K S Mehra says that most of the
dog-bite cases that are reported are suspected cases as the
agency is sterlising and vaccinating stray dogs. "As per
policy after sterlising the dog we release them to the area
from where they are picked up," he says.
On number of canine population, Mehra says that results
of recent survey are being analysed and a policy to step up
our ABC (Animal Birth Control programme) will be chalked out
on its basis.
Killing of stray dogs has been banned by the Delhi High
court, which has instead ordered the civic agencies to conduct
regular ABC drives to control the growing stray canine
population.
Presently sterilisation is being done by nine voluntary
organisations in collaboration with civic agencies responsible
for picking up dogs from the streets and leaving them at the
same spot after they are sterilised as per policy.
The NGOs involved in the sterilisation project, however,
feel that the government is not providing sufficient fund and
support to make the programme successful.
Vandana Sengupta of Sunadi said, "The government need to
provide more logistic to ensure that more number of dogs are
sterilised. Moreover, in my 30 years of experience in the
area, I have seen that its not stray dog which is harmful but
even cases of pet dog bites are there."
Gautam Barat of Friendicoes echoes similar sentiments.
"We have 60 kennels and always feel space constraint. If the
government is really serious about the issue then they can
sign an agreement with us and provide their veterinary
hospital for the job on temporary basis."
After the sterilisation and immunisation, the dogs are
notched in the ear for identification.
MCD pays NGOs Rs 445 per dog for sterilisation and
immunisation. Those bitten by dogs are first given a Tetanus
injection, followed by the anti-rabies serum so that the body
produces antibodies to fight rabies, in case the dog had the
disease.
After ARS, the patient is given the anti-rabies vaccine,
a five-dose course spread across a month. A vial of
anti-rabies serum costs about Rs 400 and in most cases, a
patient requires five doses of it, taking the cost to Rs
2,000.
The country imports rabies vaccines worth Rs 400 crore
each year. The Centre has decided to allot Rs 200 crore for
the project to neuter stray dogs. It will prepare a plan on
how to involve state governments and municipalities in the
project, according to Environment Ministry officials.
Bureau Report
First Published: Sunday, September 27, 2009, 17:34