Wednesday , October 31,2007
MCD PLANS FIRST-EVER DOG CENSUS

To curb their growing and ‘meaning’ numbers, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi
(MCD) is plotting the first ever stray dog-census to be conducted in the capital.

The civic body is looking at engaging Wildlife SOS, a city-based NGO to conduct the survey. After being hoodwinked by the street smart canines, civic officials believe the census will help revive their population control programme called the Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme. It is recommended by the Animal Welfare Board based in Chennai.

According to the Association for Prevention and Control of Rabies In India (APCRI). Delhi accounts for nearly 25 per cent of the 17.6, million dog bites reported by the country last year. The country accounts for almost 80 per cent of the world’s rabies cases. While the entire census project is estimated to cost the civic body about Rs 5 lakh, the project is yet to be given the final nod by Municipal Commissioner A K Nigam.

“We have been running the sterilization programme for the last five years, but haven’t been able to justify the process because it is difficult to keep a track of dogs even if they remain confined to their territories. If we miss one dog, and it delivers a litter, the entire process fails,” said MCD Director, Veterinary Services, Dr R B S Tyagi. Municipal estimates say there are a least 3 lakh stray dogs in the city. But the civic body has managed to vaccinate only around 70,000 dogs since 2002. the civic body has nine city-based NGO’s like Frenicoes assisting it in carrying out the sterilization and vaccination porogramme.

According to Kartick Satyanarayan of Wildlife SOS, the civic body lacks the scientific structure required for the process. “We have vague number for the entire city which is not enough. What we need is scientifically carried out surveys that can tell us the density of the dog population in the city. This way we can carry out intensive sterilization drives in worst-affected areas,” Satyanarayan said.

Explaining the process, Satyanarayan said the survey involves sending out teams in different districts of the city at the same time, say morning or evening when the dogs come out in search of food. “we plan to conduct surveys in select and distinct areas, plot the dog density and then calculate the over all dog population by using the results for similar areas,” he said.

While one distinct area is the Ghaziabad-yamuna stretch, the other one would be the Walled City. One model residential colony would help plot population density in other similar localities he said.