Representative image showing stray dogs.
Credit: DH Photo
Bengaluru: If Bengaluru were to eventually implement the Supreme Court’s directive to the Delhi government, and the municipal bodies there to move all the stray dogs out of the streets, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) would have to increase its infrastructure capacity by nearly 1,000 times. The city, at present, only has a capacity to house close to 200 to 250 dogs at its shelter homes. The dog census by BBMP had revealed that the city has at least 2.79 lakh stray dogs.
Senior BBMP officials opined that this order may set a precedent to other municipal corporations and BBMP may have to implement it.
Though the BBMP has at least one Animal Birth Control (ABC) centre in each zone, there are not many shelter homes or observation centres. At present, there is only one shelter home in Dasarahalli and the one at Yelahanka will soon be operational, officials said. “There is some place at the RR Nagar Centre as well. Hence, we can house close to 200 to 250 dogs for now,” a senior BBMP official from the Animal Husbandry Department said.
Apart from these, the animal husbandry department has also received two acres land each in Mahadevapura and Bommanahalli where the civic body plans to set up two observation centres that can shelter at least 100 dogs.
“We have called for tenders to set up the centres but the response has not been very good,” the official added.
The officials, however, opined that they may be able to implement the order if the government allots required land. “The government will have to let us scale up infrastructure by providing large parcels of land across the city. That’s the only way to implement the order if we have to,” yet another official said.
BBMP Joint Director (Animal Husbandry) T Chandraiah said that the civic body was already moving aggressive dogs to these centres now.
“Even now, to ensure public safety, we do move aggressive dogs and those which bite without provocation to the shelter homes and assess their behaviour,” he said. He added that they do call in experts and try to provide behavioural therapy to dogs to avoid incidents of dog bite.
However, given that the city is reporting 2,000-2,500 dog bite cases monthly, many residents want similar measures to be taken here as well.
“The Supreme Court has said it right. We should not put people’s lives at risk. After the recent incident, we are even scared to allow children to play on the road near our house. Many of us have also asked senior citizens to avoid going on a walk in the early morning hours. If Bengaluru also follows the Supreme Court’s directive, we will feel safer,” said Lakshmi K, a resident of Kodigehalli where a 68-year-old man was mauled to death by a pack of dogs recently.