GHMC chief promises to control dog menace in city

Hyderabad, Jan 7 (INN): GHMC Commissioner and Special Officer Somesh Kumar said that the corporation was planning to involve all the residential welfare association to control dog menace in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. He admitted that compared to previous years, the menace has increased a lot this year.

Addressing a review meeting with the residential welfare associations and senior veterinary officials here on Wednesday, the Special Officer said that as per the survey done by the GHMC in the year 2011, there were more than 5 lakh dogs is in the twin cities. As per the guidelines framed by Animal Welfare Board of India, the GHMC is striving hard to catch stray dogs to control birth rate and also to take up operations de-warming, Anti-Rabis vaccine operations duly certifying them with necessary stamping for identification for controlling the same.

Somesh Kumar said that the GHMC is having around 17 dog catching vehicles and the corporation is planning to increase it to 24. The vehicles will be deployed in areas where dogs’ population is higher. The GHMC has also decided to depute four teams at a time to catch the dogs wherever needed. He said in the last 4 years around 4,4286 dogs have been vaccinated for Rabis etc., The Veterinary wing of GHMC is also taking proper care whether the vaccination which has been given earlier is working out properly bloods sample are being taken to take further necessary action in this regard.

At present there are 320 bones and kennels and it would be increased in the coming few days. There is every need to involve all the Residential Welfare Associations various Basthi committees and nongovernmental organisations to control the dog menace. The GHMC is also planning to open colony care taker centres in various areas of the twin cities.

The members who attended the meeting gave some suggestions to control the dog menace and Dr. Sampath from Institute of Preventive Medicines said that the dog biting cases have gone down when compare to that of last 4 years. He said there were 50,181 cases of dog biting in the year 2010-11; 52,264 in 2011-12; 44,118 in 2012-13; 42,953 in 2013-14 and in the year 2014-15, as many as 30,205 cases of dog biting were reported.

Vasanthi from Blue Cross society said that the GHMC has to take up the measures to have a Rabis free city for which everybody cooperation is very badly needed. She further requested that every colony must have animal care taker centres. Some officials informed that in cities like Mumbai, Calcutta, Chennai the State Government is collecting tax for the pet animals and this type of tax should also be introduced in the GHMC.

Dr. Laxmi from Animal Welfare movement requested the Commissioner to provide special dog catching squads in all the areas. Dr. Yogi Reddy, Retired Director of Animal Husbandry Department, said that the retired veterinary doctors and other wings are ready to cooperate with the GHMC in controlling the dog menace.

Additional Commissioner (H&S) N Ravi Kiran, Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Venkateshwar Reddy and representatives from various Residential Welfare Associations / Basthi Committee have participated in the meeting.