JOIN USAuthorities hope to sterilise nearly 600 more stray dogs a day, with the opening of sterilisation centres in five public veterinary hospitals here.
Between April 2015 and December 2015, the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) has sterilised nearly 21,000 canines to control their population.
The work of building sterilisation centres in Delhi government’s veterinary hospitals in Bijwasan, Mundela, Nagli and Massodpur is under progress, the Arvind Kejriwal government said in a reply to a question in the Delhi Assembly on March 30. Each centre will have the capacity to sterilise 100 dogs every day.
Another facility with a capacity of sterilising about 180-200 dogs a day is coming up in Dwarka Sector-29.
Under the Animal Birth Control (Dog) Rules 2001, the civic bodies are running sterilisation drives with the help of six animal welfare organisations or NGOs: Sanjay Gandhi Animal Care Centre, Sonadi Charitable Trust, Jeevanshram Foundation, Pet Animal Welfare Society, Animal India Trust and Friendicoes-Seca.
According to the North MCD, it has sterilised 19,398 dogs from April 2014-March 2015 and 14,349 dogs from April 2013-March 2014.
The last census of street dogs in Delhi, conducted over six years ago by the unified Municipal Corporation of Delhi, puts the stray dog population at 5.6 lakh. Ever since the unified MCD’s trifurcation into North, South and East MCDs in 2012, no head-count of strays have taken place.
East MCD has purchased two vans to catch and sterilise dogs. NGOs working for the sterilisation drive have received one van each from the government.
According to the East Corporation, over 22,000 dogs were sterilised last year. The civic body rounded up 3,061 strays for sterilisation in 2001, 5,963 in 2013, 6,221 in 2014 and 6,732 in 2015.Experts say sterilisation not only curbs growth of stray population but also reduces sexual aggression and turf war among dogs.