Some stray dogs take rest in a residential area in the city. Telegraph picture

Cuttack, June 16: Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) is apparently fighting a losing battle in its bid to control the stray dog population in the city.

“There is no count of the number of stray dogs in Cuttack. But, the number should be around 50,000,” admits a CMC health-wing worker.

While there have been public uproars over the steadily increasing population, the civic body authorities are in a quandary owing to fund crunch and lack of infrastructure. CMC had launched a programme to control strays in the city in 2005. Mahila Vikas Samit (MVS), a local NGO, was carrying out a population control programme on behalf of the civic body.

The programme isolated a stray for seven days during which time he or she was subjected to sterilisation and immunisation along with medicines. The whole process entailed an expenditure of Rs 445 per dog. But, the project progress has been slow.

The programme has managed to cover less than 1,100 dogs in a year.

MVS co-ordinator U. Panigrahi stresses that lack of infrastructure slowed down the process. “We are expected to manage with just one dog yard, where 15 canines can be accommodated at a go,” he said.

According to experts, if a bitch, her mate and her litter are not neutered and are allowed to reproduce, that can lead to a population of 16 dogs in a year, 2,048 dogs in four years and 67,000 stray dogs in six.

“There are no surveys to support our count, but the current situation warrants spaying and neutering of at least 10,000 strays in a year,” said CMC health officer Niranjan Das, while talking to The Telegraph today. “But, that won’t be possible with the available funds,” Das adds, as an afterthought.

CMC had initially sent a Rs 10-lakh project proposal to the National Animal Welfare Board for the programme of which Rs 5 lakh was sanctioned. “We have submitted a fresh proposal with a target of covering 10,000 stray dogs by 2008-09,” the health officer added.