The municipal corporation (MC) launched the construction work of a project to increase the capacity of its stray dog sterilisation drive on Hambran Road on Sunday
The project, launched under the Smart City Mission, aims to increase the capacity of MC’s sterilisation project from 25 dogs per day to 100 dogs per day.
MC officials said over 47,000 stray dogs have already been sterilised in the city.
Punjab food, civil supplies and consumer affairs minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu along with mayor Balkar Sandhu and other MC officials visited the project site on Sunday.
MC officials said presently, the civic body is also constructing more kennels for increasing the capacity of sterilisation. The officials said that an ultra modern and advanced operation theatre equipped with best machines, a kennel, a ward for post operative facilities etc will be constructed under the expansion project worth ₹1 crore.
Ashu said the project will be the biggest in the state and its infrastructure will be set up in the coming six months.
The project comes amid hue and cry raised by residents over rising menace of stray dog bite cases. Notably, as many as 7,003 cases of dog bite were recorded at the civil hospital till October-end this year, of which the highest, 1,033, were recorded in June.
Mayor Balkar Sandhu said, “We are concerned about the increasing complaints of dog bites and all necessary steps are being taken to find a solution. It is expected that the expansion project will be completed in around six months, after which around 100 dogs will be sterilised on a daily basis. Also, more teams of dog catchers will be deployed in the city.”
{{/usCountry}}Mayor Balkar Sandhu said, “We are concerned about the increasing complaints of dog bites and all necessary steps are being taken to find a solution. It is expected that the expansion project will be completed in around six months, after which around 100 dogs will be sterilised on a daily basis. Also, more teams of dog catchers will be deployed in the city.”
{{/usCountry}}However, one of the MC officials, requesting anonymity, said the project might take around a year to complete.
As a precautionary step for foggy weather conditions, the members of Rules Followers Club tied 100 radium reflective bands around the neck of 100 stray cattle at Tajpur Road on Sunday.
Club president Kundan Kumar said the state government and the civic body have failed to find a solution to the stray cattle menace even when cow cess is being collected by the MC. “Casualties are witnessed every year due to stray cattle menace in foggy weather. We have set a target to tie 500 reflective bands around the stray cattle,” said Kumar.