JOIN USCat fish rearing blamed for dog menace in Bagalur
Yelahanka Tahsildar B Venkatesh, the Bagalur Police and the Zilla Panchayat are now planning to ban cat fish breeding in the area.
Venkatesh told Deccan Herald that he was convinced that the dog menace in the locality was a result of the cat fish breeding in Razaakpalya.
“The dog menace seems to have arisen out of the cat fish rearing contract given to people in the locality by the Fisheries Department. With over two dozen dogs hovering at the dead fish strewn in the neighbourhood, it has become a huge problem,” said Venkatesh.
The cat fish reared here has high demand in places like Mumbai. The expanding cat fish rearing industry in Razaakpalya led to a rise in the canine population in the area. The dog menace spread to surrounding villages, including Bagalur.
Also, the lakes in the vicinity have become a dumping ground for waste from surrounding regions. “People throw all the waste brought from Chikkaballapur, Doddaballapur and Yelahanka into the lakes, thus attracting dogs and vultures,” residents complained.
Prashant’s death has only made the demand from people in Bagalur for a ban on the cat fish rearing industry shriller.
“We will soon hold a meeting with the fisheries department, the local police and the Zilla Panchayat on shifting the industry from here,” Venkatesh said.
BBMP should also take its share of the blame for not maintaining hygiene, locals say. Complaints have been received by the Tahsildar in this regard.
The upcoming Aero India 2011 will lend more urgency for rooting out the dog menace from the area.
On the flip side, the move will deprive the fish breeding community in Razaakpalya its livelihood.