New Indian Express: Added thrust to animal birth control programme

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CHENNAI

 

Mar 6, 2007

Added thrust to animal birth control programme

Tuesday March 6 2007 00:00 IST

 

CHENNAI: Taking the inspiration from the Chennai Corporation, where

the Animal Birth Control Programme (ABC) has been implemented

successfully, the State Government has ordered extension of the ABC

programme to five more corporations and 50 municipalities and has

allocated nearly Rs 5.8 crore for implementation within six months.

 

Besides Chennai, the Corporations of Coimbatore, Madurai,

Tirunelveli, Tiruchy and Salem have been included in the programme

apart from 50 other municipalities, including municipalities in

Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority area.

 

The fund allocation of Rs 5.78 crore has been made so that Rs 445

would be made available for each stray dog, from catching the dog and

sterilisation to rehabilitation.

 

According to the Government Order, issued under the instructions of

Local Administration Minister M K Stalin, the amount would be

initially spent by the State Government and it would be subsequently

reimbursed from the Animal Welfare Board of India.

 

The order has been passed following a detailed survey conducted on

street dogs and domestic dogs in all urban local bodies, sources said.

 

All the Municipal Commissioners and Corporation Commissioners had

been instructed to identify and keep rooms to conduct surgery and for

post-operative care.

 

They were also told to identify reputed NGOs, who could provide

training to catch dogs and to render assistance in conducting the ABC

programme.

 

The order has recommended the Animal Welfare Board of India, People

for Animals (PFA), Chennai, and the Blue Cross of India for training

purposes and it has also directed the officials to take the help of

local community organisations in developing the facilities.

 

" These activities can be undertaken with municipalities' own funds,

Government of India's grant and public contribution, " the order said.

 

The Commissioner of Municipal Administration should ensure that

district-level NGOs were identified in consultation with the Animal

Welfare Board of India and other well-known animal welfare NGOs at

the state-level and put in touch with all urban local bodies within a

district, department sources said.

 

Chennai is the first Corporation to implement the ABC programme in

the whole of the country.

 

The volunteers of PFA and Blue Cross along with the corporation

officials have made this programme a big success here.

 

So far, in Chennai alone more than 70,000 stray dogs had been sterilised.

 

This year, till February, a total of 13,200 dogs had been sterilised,

a top Corporation official said.

 

PAT FROM MANEKA

 

" It is the only way to stop rabies. If successfully implemented, it

will bring down the stray dog population in a phased manner and in

turn will better the relationship between people and stray dogs, "

said MP Maneka Gandhi.

 

She told Express over phone from Delhi, " ABC worked wonderfully in

Chennai. So it should also work in other corporations and

municipalities. It is an excellent move on the part of the

Government. "

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