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Only eight shelters to accommodate over 90,000 stray dogs in Mumbai
According to BMC officials, the current stray dog population in Mumbai stands at 90,600, while there are only eight shelters
A day after the Supreme Court directed the relocation of stray canines to designated shelters, Mumbai civic officials on Saturday said there are only eight shelters in the city with over 90,000 stray dogs.
The civic officials have said that in order to implement the court's order, more dog shelters are need to be set up in the city.
The remark comes after the Supreme Court on Friday directed relocation of stray canines to designated shelters after due sterilisation and vaccination.
According to officials, to implement the apex court's order, the city needs to set up more shelters. As per a census conducted by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation 11 years ago, there were at least 95,752 stray dogs in Mumbai, which has now dropped by around 5,000 after the animal birth control (ABC) programme undertaken by BMC since 2014, news agency PTI reported, citing civic officials.
While the current stray dog population in Mumbai stands at 90,600, there are only eight shelters, which have low capacity, since earlier the civic body used to release the dogs after sterilisation, under the old mandate.
Also read: SC orders removal of stray dogs from schools, hospitals, public transport hubs.
Supreme Court on Friday took note of the ‘alarming rise’ in dog bite cases in institutional areas, railway stations, hospitals, etc, and directed the relocation of stray canines to designated shelters after sterilisation and vaccination.
It said that the frequent incidents of dog bite reflect not only administrative apathy but also "systemic failure" to secure these premises from preventable hazards. Along with this, it also directed the states and Union Territories to take steps to address the shortcomings highlighted in a report filed by senior advocate Gaurav Agarwal, who is assisting the bench as amicus curiae.
Also read: Dog lovers slam Supreme Court order on relocation of strays: ‘…it’s their home’
Civic officials noted that the city will first need to enhance its capacity to remove stray dogs and shift them to shelters for the remaining part of their lives. The average lifespan of a dog is between 12 and 15 years.
As per SC directive, the dogs will be sterilised and then shifted to a shelter where a dog handler and veterinarian will be appointed, along with making arrangements for their food and water, a senior BMC official said.
According to the directive, even if 30 to 40 per cent of the stray dogs in Mumbai are removed from public places, "shelters will be required to accommodate around 40,000 such dogs," an official said. Seeing the growth rate of dogs, BMC implemented an animal birth control programme.
