After the stay on the dog sterilisation drive in Bhubaneswar was vacated by the Orissa High Court on Monday, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) is on its toes to resume the drive in two or three days.
Hearing a petition, the HC had put a stay order on the sterilisation drive on July 6, 2023, on BMC's animal birth control (ABC) programme.
BMC Commissioner, Vijay Amruta Kulange informed that the ABC of the dogs would be carried out at the kennel in Mancheswar.
As per reports, a meeting was held at the BMC office on Tuesday to discuss the drive. The BMC Commissioner directed the officials concerned to get prepared to resume the drive.
The BMC has set up a kennel at a cost of Rs 1 crore in Macheswar and the facility is capable of handling 100 birth control operations every day. The BMC has equipped the kennel with 10 caves, operation theatres, and necessary tools.
“Vet For Animal, an agency, has been tasked to carry out dog catching, birth control operations, and other ancillary activities. The BMC will pay Rs 1650 per dog to the agency for its service. The drive will begin in two or three days,” said BMC Commissioner Vijay Amruta Kulange.
Sources said that nearly 60,000 dogs are in Bhubaneswar.
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The vacation of the stay order on dog sterilisation has been welcomed by the residents of Bhubaneswar.
However, some animal lovers and activists of People For Animals (an NGO) raised questions over the activities of the BMC under ABC.
Jiban Das, an activist of People For Animal, said that though dog sterilisation is carried out since 2008 in Bhubaneswar, the dog population is still on the rise. “Is sterilisation of dogs done properly? Is the BMC carrying out a drive to identify sterilised dogs post-operation?” he asked.