Even as the death of a toddler G. Siva who was attacked by a pack of stray dogs in Visakhapatnam on Friday shook the State, the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) stands ill-equipped to handle dog menace in the absence of a mechanism to control the stray population in the city.
The Corporation depends on an operation theatre set up by a city-based NGO, Indian Institute of Jeevakarunyam and Research, for taking up Animal Birth Control (ABC) through sterilization. The procedure has not been taken up in last six months due to lack of trained veterinary doctors, said the institute founder and chairman M. Venkateswarlu on Saturday.
The operation theatre at the institute located at Bhavanipuram is equipped with the facility to carry out the operation but there are no trained veterinary doctors. The State government can facilitate doctors to undergo training in Chennai, Ooty and Gangtok where experts impart free training in safe procedures for sterilization. However, nothing concrete has been done in this regard, he said.
The Corporation officials said the city has 13,000 stray dogs and the number is less when compared to Visakhaptnam. “We are unable to tackle the menace owing to the uproar by animal welfare organisations,” a senior official said. Three years ago, the VMC tried to end the menace by killing stray dogs on the city suburbs but it had to be stopped following criticism by animal rights activists.
According to officials, the VMC receives less than 10 complaints relating to stray dogs to its toll free number 103 from Krishna Lanka, Ranigarithota, Ramalingeswara Nagar, Singhnagar and Chittinagar. A message is sent to the veterinary officials concerned to address the issue and an SMS is sent to the complainant informing about the action taken by the officials within 24 hours after registering a complaint.
When contacted, VMC Veterinary Assistant Surgeon Z. Srinivasa Rao said the government has sanctioned Rs.20 lakh to set up an operation theatre in Singhnagar. “We have already placed work order and it will be operational in two months,” he said, claiming that the Corporation was taking up Anti-Rabies Vaccination Programme regularly.
Meanwhile, Municipal Administration Minister P. Narayana has asked municipal commissioners to conduct a special drive on stray dog menace. The directions came in the wake of Friday’s incident in Visakhapatnam.
City has 13,000 stray dogs population
VMC receives less than 10 calls every day
Toll-free number 103 gets calls
Calls are mainly received from Krishna Lanka, Ranigarithota, Ramalingeswara Nagar, Singhnagar and Chittinagar
Government sanctions Rs.20 lakh to set up an operation theatre in Singhnagar
