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Prayagraj Municipal Corporation plans ban on pet walks in park premises
Dr Vijay Amritra, livestock officer, PMC, said, “A strict ban on people taking their dogs and cats to the park will be imposed from next month. Though there is no provision yet for a shelter home, once four new zones are created, land will be identified and a shelter will be built. Until then, dogs already inside these premises will not be removed.”
Acting on a Supreme Court directive, the Prayagraj Municipal Corporation (PMC) is set to restrict stray dog entry at three key city sites: Shaheed Chandra Shekhar Azad Park, Indian Institute of Information Technology-Allahabad (IIIT-A) and Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology (MNNIT) campuses. Visitors will also be barred from bringing their pets to the park for walks, officials said on Thursday.
Stray dogs already living at these locations will not be removed immediately. Security personnel will prevent new entries while ensuring existing animals are not harmed.
Dr Vijay Amritra, livestock officer, PMC, said, “A strict ban on people taking their dogs and cats to the park will be imposed from next month. Though there is no provision yet for a shelter home, once four new zones are created, land will be identified and a shelter will be built. Until then, dogs already inside these premises will not be removed.”
Municipal officials said the corporation will only vaccinate dogs currently living inside the park and both educational institutions. However, the PMC has not yet constructed a single shelter home for housing stray dogs, a requirement before relocating them.
According to Dr Amritraj, discussions are underway among the PMC, park authorities and technical institutions. He is scheduled to hold further meetings with their administrations to formalise the plan.
Meanwhile, the PMC is conducting a citywide census of all dogs, including those in public spaces. Dr Amritraj said the survey will be completed within a month, after which the exact number of stray dogs in public areas will be known. Until the shelter home is functional, officials will continue to monitor dog populations in the restricted locations.
