A month after deadline, dog sterilisation project hangs fire

Though an average 600 cases of dog bites are reported every month at Lord Mahavira Civil Hospital Ludhiana, the stray dog menace continues as the sterilisation project for dogs is hanging fire for the past five years.

Work on hospital for sterilisation of dogs at Haibowal in Ludhiana started in April and was supposed to be completed within three months. More than 50 percent of the work is still pending.

A non-government organisation (NGO) from Hyderabad, Vet Society for Animal Welfare and Rural Development, had been tendered for the same and is waiting for the infrastructure to start the project at the earliest but construction work on rooms and kennels as per the NGO’s requirements has not been completed yet.

The work started in April this year in Haibowal and was supposed to be completed within three months. However, more than 50% of the work is still pending, sources said.

A municipal corporation (MC) official said three rooms and around 20 kennels would be constructed for this project. According to a survey in 2009, there were around 25,000 stray dogs but the numbers have increased across the city.

Satish Thaman, a member of Ludhiana District West Sub Division Grievances Redressal Committee, said, “People complain a lot of dog bites. But the civic body has done nothing to provide relief to residents. I raised the matter in the Sangat Darshan conducted by the MC commissioner but no action was taken. The MC should complete the pending work as soon as possible to reduce such cases.”

Avinash Jindal from the medicine department of Lord Mahavira Civil Hospital Ludhiana, said, “An average 20 cases of dog bites come to the hospital daily. Besides, there is a possibility that some visit private hospitals or clinics to receive treatment. Cases of dog bites have increased as compared to past years.”

Vipal Malhotra, health officer of the MC, said the construction work was going on and that the sterlisation process would start only after completion of the building in Haibowal.

YP Singh, senior veterinary officer of the MC, said the sterlisation of at least 1,000 dogs would be carried out every month while the NGO would charge Rs 765 per case from the MC.

He admitted that the deadline had passed while he expressed hope that the project would take effect soon after completion of the building. However, officials did not comment on how much more time it would take to start the sterilisation project.

Health and sanitation wing chief Amarjit Singh Sekhon was not available for comment.