In an attempt to mitigate the menace of stray dogs under its jurisdiction, the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) is all set to conduct a survey of the number of stray dogs, their sex ratio, number of sterilised dogs and other related aspects.
According to a senior SDMC official, concerned with many cases of dog bites, the corporation has taken the decision to conduct the survey. “The corporation had been mulling to find a feasible solution to find out the exact count of the roaming dogs apart from other related aspects about dogs detrimental to the peace and safety of the citizens,” he said. Considering the whole exercise a difficult task, the SDMC has since decided to get an exhaustive survey conducted by a specialised agency. “Based on the results, an action plan to make the entire SDMC area free of stray-dogs will be formulated,” he added. The SDMC has identified an agency to take up the survey at the earliest in order to prepare a base to overcome the nuisance. The terms and reference and scope of the survey have also been finalised. An MoU between the SDMC and agency concerned is likely to be signed soon.
“The SDMC intends to determine the scale of intervention necessary to reduce the number of stray dogs to an acceptable level and establish a dependable mechanism for proper monitoring,” said an official.
The agency supposed to conduct the survey is supposed to provide the total number of stray dogs in all 104 wards, the number and percentage of male and female dogs along with the number and percentage of sterilised and unsterilised male and female dogs.
“The survey will not only go a long way in curbing the dog nuisance but also help in formulating preventive action plans in respect of health hazards on account of stray dogs and pups,” the official added.
