E-Paper
Ludhiana MC to soon float tenders for vaccinating canines against rabies
As per officials, the project will be taken up in phases and MC has decided to purchase vaccine for 25,000 dogs in the first phase at a cost of around ₹8 lakh. The sum includes the cost of syringes, gloves etc. The funds collected from residents for registration of their pet dogs will be used for this purpose.
With an aim to achieve the target of ‘rabies-free city’, the municipal corporation (MC) will soon be starting a drive to administer free anti-rabies vaccine to stray and registered pet dogs in the city.
The MC’s finance and contracts committee (F and CC) had given approval for the project during its meeting on Tuesday evening. Civic authorities will soon be floating tenders for the project.
As per officials, the project will be taken up in phases and MC has decided to purchase vaccine for 25,000 dogs in the first phase at a cost of around ₹8 lakh. The sum includes the cost of syringes, gloves etc. The funds collected from residents for registration of their pet dogs will be used for this purpose. The MC charges ₹400 as pet registration fee from residents. Over 2,000 residents have got their pet dogs registered with the MC so far.
The civic body will rope in the animal husbandry department to organise camps for vaccinating the dogs. It is expected that the project will be initiated from the gated colonies in city.
The decision to carry out the drive was taken after MC found three stray dogs infected with rabies last year. The dogs had died during sterilisation drive at MC’s animal birth control (ABC) centre in Haibowal dairy complex last year.
MC senior veterinary officer Dr Harbans Dhalla said, “There are six veterinary hospitals of animal husbandry department in the city including those at Haibowal dairy complex, Barewal, Dhandari Kalan, Tajpur road dairy complex and Gill road. We are in talks with the animal husbandry department so that camps can be organised in the city. While residents will bring their registered pets to these camps, MC will depute a team of dog catchers to vaccinate stray dogs in these areas.”
“There is no cure for the disease once someone gets infected. Over 18,000 deaths are reported in the country every year. After we found three stray dogs infected with rabies last year, it was decided to start a drive to make the city ‘rabies-free’, as the disease poses danger to the lives of residents if an infected dog bites them,” said Dr Dhalla while adding that the MC will soon float tenders for procuring the vaccine.
