Civic body to put leash on stray dog menace in Amritsar

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, February 21

After the failure of the several dog sterilisation attempts, the MC is all set to initiate the drive for 5,000 dogs. The MC General House had sanctioned Rs45 lakh at a meeting on December 31. Now, it is being expected that the Finance and Contract Committee meeting would give its nod on Monday.

According to the official figure, the city has more than 30,000 stray dogs. In December 2018, the civic body had initiated a pilot project by spending Rs18 lakh on sterilisation of 2,000 stray dogs. Due to poor infrastructure, the MC sterilised only 1,451 dogs in two years. MC had hired a firm but the infrastructure was not available. The doctors were able to sterilise 80 dogs per week. The project of 2,000 dogs is still underway.

Dog sterilisation centre under construction

Mayor Karmajit Singh Rintu said new dog sterilisation centre is under construction at Naraingarh. It will have a capacity to sterilise 200 dogs weekly. Now, the MC has decided to go for the sterilisation of 5,000 dogs. The expected amount for sterilisation is Rs45 lakh. With the setting up of the new centre, the sterilisation process would speed up.

Mayor Karmajit Singh Rintu claimed that the new dog sterilisation centre is under construction at Naraingarh, which will have a capacity to sterilise 200 dogs weekly. Now, the MC has decided to go for the sterilisation of 5,000 dogs. The expected amount for sterilisation is Rs45 lakh.

Such drives have been started in the past, but couldn’t succeed due to inadequate infrastructure and shortage of funds. Earlier, the civic body had started such a drive in March 2017, but failed to achieve success.