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Chandigarh: Stray dog sterilisation to start at Raipur Kalan centre
The operations will initially be allotted to the NGO already managing the ABC programme for six months at a cost of ₹41 lakh, on same terms and conditions
The finance and contract committee of the Chandigarh municipal corporation (MC) on Monday decided to allot the operation of the animal birth control (ABC) centre at Raipur Kalan to speed up stray dog sterilisation in the city.
The operations will initially be allotted to the NGO already managing the ABC programme for six months at a cost of ₹41 lakh, on same terms and conditions. The centre, which has been built on around 2.50 acres, has 400 kennels and the facility to sterilise around 1,000 stray dogs. Currently, dogs are sterilised at the animal care centre in Sector 38 West.
During the meeting, which was held under the chairmanship of mayor Anup Gupta and attended by MC commissioner Anindita Mitra, committee members Dalip Sharma, Gurpreet Singh Gabi, Prem Lata and Neha, and other senior MC officers, the committee also decided to purchase three dog catching vans at a cost of ₹45 lakh. “Sterilisations at the Raipur Rani centre will start from second week of September. The three dog catching vans will be used exclusively for this centre,” said Mitra.
As per information, the city reported a total of 5,365 cases of dog bites in 2022, significantly lower than 18,378 in 2019. In 2020, there were 13,447 cases and 6,306 in 2021.
In the last House meeting on July 25, councillors had lambasted the civic body’s medical officer of health (MOH) wing for not doing enough to control the stray dog menace.
Also during the F&CC meeting, the committee members accorded approval for laying new pipelines, paver blocks and other development works. Approval was also given for urgent repair and renovation of public toilet blocks at Palika Bazaar, Sector 19-C. Also, renovation of community centres is also on cards.
MC will hold its general House meeting on Tuesday, where its previous decision of charging double parking fee from four-wheelers registered outside the tricity is expected to be cancelled.
MC will also table development-related agendas, including reconstruction of five public toilet blocks in Sector 22; hiring of chain dozers for maintenance and upkeep of sanitary landfill site; and extension of existing MoU with 926 door-to-door garbage collectors.
