Chandigarh to base dog by-laws on Goa model

To bring the stray dog menace under control and ensure better regulation of the pet dogs, the municipal corporation (MC) will soon release revamped by-laws.

The issue of stray and pet dog management was deliberated over during the civic body’s general house meet on Monday.

MC commissioner Anindita Mitra said they were looking to borrow some of the elements of Goa’s by-laws on the same. Goa, notably, is the country’s first rabies-free state.

“We will rework the by-laws. We will include features from Goa which has done exemplary work and is a rabies-free state. Bhubaneswar has also done good work in managing stray dogs, we can also take points from there,” the MC commissioner said during the discussion.

Notably, the last stray dog census in Chandigarh was done in 2019, which had shown an increase in stray dog population by 65% within seven years. While the number of stray dogs stood at 7,847 in the census conducted in 2012, it reached 12,900 in 2019.

The MC had also terminated the services of a non-government organisation, which was carrying out sterilisation of dogs. Councillor Maheshinder Singh Sidhu said, “Sterilisation has stopped and stray dog population has increased manifold in the post-Covid period. Multiple agencies should be hired for the job.”

Speaking on the same, Mitra said the revised tenders were ready and the civic body would soon allot work for stray dog sterilisation. The tenders specify, in detail, different parameters on which the performance of the hired organisation will be judged by the MC to make the entire sterilisation process more effective.

Stricter penalties, better enforcement, wider publicity

Under the revised pet dog by-laws, the MC plans to introduce stiffer penalties against dog owners flouting regulations.

Ban on particular breeds of dogs can also be introduced and specified zones will be demarcated in each sector for taking the pet dogs out. The MC also agreed to the demand of councillors for better publicity and better enforcement of the existing pet dog by-laws.

Monkey menace

Councillors also demanded an immediate solution to the fast-spreading monkey menace, particularly in northern sectors.

Raising the issue, Councillor Harpreet Kaur Babla said, “Not only my ward, but many

sectors are troubled due to monkey menace. They even enter houses and create ruckus. Something must be done to control it as we are tired of complaining about it.”

Mitra said the civic body will raise the issue with the forest department, under whose jurisdiction the issue lies.