The Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation has laid down a standard operating procedure (SOP) for the feeding of stray dogs. The mayor has sent a message addressed to residents of her ward sharing the SOP with them and seeking their opinion with regard to it. The letter also mentions that the ward office will designate feeding zones for streetdogs and asks residents to contact their respective ward offices for the information.
The awareness measure comes in the aftermath of the civic body commissioner issuing a memo, dated March 13, addressed to all the councillors, in which he has sought their response within a week of the memo. It mentions that the High Court had issued an order on November 6, 2024, which had been communicated to the civic body by the urban development department (UD). The initiative, it mentions, is being taken to organise the efforts of individuals and NGOs who feed streetdogs.
It lists the steps that the urban local bodies need to take with regard to the following:
• Fix the time of feeding. It should be done by 7am and again within 7pm to 9pm.
• Those who feed dogs need to maintain cleanliness and arrange for feeding in a hygienic way
• Ensure others are not inconvenienced
• Ensure the quality of the food and fix what should and should not be fed
• Ensure the feeding places are not dirtied
• Raise awareness among people on the matter
The fine print
The UD notice makes it clear that no one can prohibit, harass or resist any caregiver who feeds community dogs as per the SOP.
“Every person may show compassion, love, and affection towards animals in any form whatsoever, including feeding of street or stray dogs. This inherent or natural behaviour of a person to love or show kindness or feed animals may not be restricted so long and till such time the said acts do not cause any harm, hindrance, harassment and nuisance to other individuals or members of the society,” the notice reads.
It mentions a high court ruling in the 2024 case of Arnab Chakraborty vs the state of West Bengal and others, where it was directed that the manner in which the Calcutta Municipal Corporation fixed locations for feeding street dogs may be extended elsewhere in the state.
It says the chosen feeding spots should not have children playing or people taking walks nearby or in any way be crowded. They should neither compromise the standard width of the road or footpath, nor be at points where traffic enters or exist and also not in front of any house, building or shop.
The feeding time may be a maximum of two hours before 7am and after 7pm and cleanliness must be maintained.
The notice also has a list of food items that may be offered — roti, soft-cooked rice, boiled potatoes, a small amount of vegetable oil/ghee, throwaway meat parts such as chicken feet, goat lungs, some fish parts etc. A pinch of turmeric is both healthy and tasty for dogs and canned or packed food can be given too.
Foods that must be avoided are alcohol, grapes, raisins, berries, onion, garlic, sweetened snacks, candies, cookies, chewing gum as well as milk and dairy items as dogs can be lactose intolerant. Chocolate and caffeine are absolutely not allowed for dogs too.
The notice requires food to be served on old newspapers or biodegradable plates and for the feeders to dispose of them responsibly thereafter.
Feeding beyond the specified areas, may attract punishment, it says.
Work in progress
Councillors in Salt Lake have been asked to prepare a list of organisations which feed dogs in their respective areas and the current feeding time. They will also have to fix specific feeding spots, which should number more than one in a ward. The spots should be clearly marked with boards.
“We are asking streetdog lovers to suggest spots for the feeding. I will hold a meeting with them,” said mayor Krishna Chakraborty. “The message has been transmitted through block-level WhatsApp groups. In some places, they are already doing so nicely in bowls, which they are removing later. We are keeping a watch on whether feeders are still placing sheets of paper and dumping the food on them. Since these feeders do not come back to clean up, the dirty sheets then fly around, littering the area. We are thankful to those who feed streetdogs out of kindness but they should do so maintaining cleanliness.”
There would be more than one spot in each block as dogs, being territorial creatures, would not leave their areas. “We do not know the requirement. We will ask dog lovers for suggestions,” Chakraborty said.
There are no penal provisions in the SOP in case the discipline is not maintained and the corporation has no intention of imposing any of its own accord. “The court has not mentioned about penalty. We can only reason with such feeders in case they do not abide by the directive. After all, how many people are kind enough to feed dogs?” she said, brushing aside suggestions of strict execution.
Mayoral councillor member Rajesh Chirimar welcomed the idea. “I have invited suggestions from residents on choosing the spots. I don’t want residents of one block going to feed at another’s as too many dogs would then gather in one area,” he says.
From his councillor’s fund, Chirimar plans to build a chatal (shelter) with water connection so the space can be cleaned up after feeding and the water can drain into a storm water pit. The corporation sweeper will be asked to clean leftovers the morning after.
If no constructive suggestions come about by Poila Baisakh, Chirimar will meet block committee members individually and implement the rule by the end of the month. “This is a way forward so we will have to work towards it. We shall publicise the feeding spots and be strict about it if someone is spotted feeding dogs elsewhere,” he says.
Mayoral councillor member Tulsi Sinha Roy plans to shoot a letter in response to the directive, seeking clarification on the Corporation’s role with regard to feeding pigeons and cows on the streets as well. “Feeding pigeons is harmful for the health of those in the vicinity. It also makes the area dirty. Yet flocks of pigeons are fed regularly in several spots like near City Centre. The DC Park neighbourhood is becoming a hub for cattle feeding. Cowdung affects the longevity of the mastic asphalt coats on roads. Those who wish to feed cows are welcome to travel to the cowsheds. People blame us when roads are damaged so cows should not be allowed to roam free on public roads,” she told The Telegraph Salt Lake.
Welcome move
Many residents are counting the days till the project is implemented.
“Street dogs are a huge problem in our block,” says Arghya Pramanik, an executive member of BJ Block’s committee. “In February, there was an uproar when some ladies got chased by them during their evening walk. Even my wife got chased and has been forced now to change her route. We haven’t heard of this new order, but it seems to be a logical solution.”
Pramanik says his block has four dead ends that can be used for feeding the dogs. “The lane between BJ Park and market is secluded too and would be ideal. But while this is a temporary solution, the authorities must focus on sterilisation as a permanent answer to the street dog issue.” Mahasweta Sil of AB Block has been lobbying for feeding spots ever since several passersby, including her daughter, got bitten by street dogs last year. “If the feeding zone is assigned near vats, the dogs can stay there the whole time. People come from other blocks by car to feed dogs here. The entire process can be done in that corner, away from residents.”
Element of doubt
While the intention is noble, residents who feed dogs say it is impractical.
Priyanka Kar Chakraborty, a resident of New Town’s CD Block, feeds and has fixed others to feed 220 dogs across the city, including in Action Area 1, Salt Lake, and Mahisbathan.
She says a single kilometer can have three to four groups of dogs. “Can they assign that many feeding spots? If we try to gather them all in a common space, they will fight, and it will become too chaotic to feed,” she says. “Ideally, every ward will need 20 to 25 spots.”
Zobaida Faizal, an FE Block lady who feeds 130 dogs in blocks like KB, KC, JC, and LA agrees. “This is not a dining table where you can invite all dogs of a block to come and eat together,” she says. In her own locality of FE Block, she had sterilised dogs years ago, and there isn’t much of a population left there now.
Zobaida has tried feeding on old newspapers but says they end up dirtying the place. “Where do we get biodegradable plates now, and think of how much they will cost for 130 dogs on a daily basis…” she wonders. “I already leave my house before 6am but how will I finish before 7’o clock if I have to wait for 130 dogs to finish eating so I can dispose off these plates?”
At present, she says crows, pigeons and squirrels scurry in to finish leftovers after the dogs are done. That cleans the place up naturally.
The timing mentioned in the SOP is conducive to most feeders as they too, want to finish off before the masses start commuting to schools and offices. But the site, that is required to be in a secluded spot, is bound to be tricky.
“Dogs are foxes. Foxes hide from people but dogs are social animals. Even if you pull them away they will return to people’s doorsteps. Man’s best friend cannot stay without man,” says Sanjoy Mondal, another familiar dog-feeding face in the township.
Sanjoy runs an animal shelter and hospital, Happy Hearts of Kolkata, behind Sector V, and is frequently seen riding across blocks with buckets of dog food fixed to either side of his bike. He feeds 250 dogs daily and has sterilised many more. “And what about people who buy biscuits for streetdogs from roadside shops?” he wonders. Will this simple act of bonding be banned too?”
Corner for dogs
Then again, a New Town complex has already implemented a similar process. During the lockdown, some residents had collected three dogs from the streets and introduced them inside the New Town Heights premises. “It became a problem as they would feed them at random spots — on the stairs, in the basement, in the garden, on the pathways... And since they would not clean up afterwards, the leftover would litter the garden where children played or the walkways where residents went for their evening walks,” recalled Sameer Sharma, president of New Town Heights Apartment Owners’ Association.
Seeking guidance from the Delhi High Court order and the NKDA guideline, on March 11, 2024 the complex opened a pet park cum feeding centre beside Tower 5 and behind their badminton court. “It is an enclosed space where a feeding bowl is kept for the dogs. Complaints in this regard have reduced by 90 per cent,” Sharma said.