TV
The stray dog census entered its second day in Bhubaneswar on Friday. The exercise, which covers all 67 wards under the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), will continue till September 25. Teams have been formed for each zone, ward, and street to ensure comprehensive coverage.
The census is being carried out in two phases using a scientific method. Each day, the counting process begins at 5 am and concludes at 7 am. The first phase will continue till September 20, while the second phase will be conducted from September 21 to 24.
Under the supervision of expert veterinarians, Swachh Sathis, Swachh Supervisors, and Sanitary Inspectors are engaged in the work. A total of 410 teams have been formed.
Objective To Control Population
The BMC Commissioner said that after the first phase, the initial figure of stray dogs in the city will be available on September 21. The second phase aims to cover those left out in the first round, after which a final figure will be prepared. One of the main objectives of the census is to spay and neuter these dogs to control their population and reduce the risk of accidents.
Categorisation And Spaying Efforts
The census is categorising dogs under spayed/neutered, unspayed/unneutered, and puppies below the age of six months, with subdivisions into male and female.
Previously, veterinarians carried out sterilisation with consultation with a team of experts from outside Odisha, but the effort was halted following a court ruling.
This time, BMC has set up an operation theatre in Mancheswar with a team of seven veterinarians and aims to spay or neuter around a thousand dogs every month.
According to officials, the census is being conducted manually instead of using AI, as sufficient manpower and expert supervision are available.
