The Animal Birth Control (ABC) and Anti Rabies Vaccination (ARV) programmes, which are currently being implemented on a pilot basis by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), in two wards, Nagarbhavi in West zone and Herohalli in Rajarajeshwarinagar zone, is set to be rolled out to other parts of the city.
The initiatives, for which the civic body received technological help from the Worldwide Veterinary Services, saw 70% of the estimated dog population covered in the two wards as part of the pilot. Given its success, the BBMP has decided to extend the pilot to more wards in the city.
To begin with, one or two wards will be chosen in each of the eight zones. According to information provided by senior officials in the BBMP’s Animal Husbandry Department, in the next phase the pilot is being extended to Jnana Bharati ward and Laggere ward in Rajarajeshwarinagar zone, Moodalapalya in West zone, H.B.R. Layout ward in East zone, Shettihalli in Dasarahalli zone, Horamavu in Mahadevapura zone, Jakkur in Yelahanka zone, Jaraganahalli in Bommanahalli zone, and Jayanagar East in South zone.
BBMP Joint Director (Animal Husbandry) Lakshminarayana Swamy told The Hindu that the pilot in the new wards is likely to begin in January. The BBMP has been using the app developed by Worldwide Veterinary Service Centre, Goa, apart from the ARV recommended by the world organisation for animal health.
Assistant Director S.M.M. Shinde said around 2,000 strays in Herohalli and 800 in Nagarbhavi had been geotagged and sterilised. “We may be able to cover 70% of the dog population within a couple of weeks in wards in core zones. However, given the size of wards in outer zones, the pilot may take at least a month,” he said.
Explaining the process, he said once a stray dog is caught, it will be geotagged, which will help animal welfare organisations working with the civic body to release it in the same location. All details about the dog, whether it is a puppy, male or female, colour etc., will be uploaded onto the app.
