Certain nooks and corners of the township have started getting demarcated as street dog feeding zones. Boards are coming up bearing the name of Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation (BMC) to announce the stations as “designated dog feeding place”. They also mention timings – 5am to 7am and 7pm to 9pm.
“I was the first to propose setting up these spots to the Corporation, some six to eight months ago. Three have now come up in my ward now and more will come up soon,” said Rajesh Chirimar, mayoral council member and councillor of Ward 39, that comprises blocks DA, DB, EA, BA, CA, CB, and a portion of Duttabad. In this ward, feeding zones have come up near CB Block community centre, near Vidyasagar Abasan, and around BA-CA Park.
“I had asked residents to suggest suitable feeding zones but no quality response emerged, even from dog lovers. So we went ahead and identified three obvious spots, around which people are known to come and feed dogs,” Chirimar explained. “I plan to spend Rs 3 lakh from my councillor’s fund to make chatals at these spots and fix water lines here to help clean up after feeding. No penalty will be imposed if someone feeds a dog at a distance from these points, but it is expected that others will raise objection if one is not using a facility built specifically for the purpose, like how a bus is expected to halt for passengers at a stop and not mid-street.”
Residents seem happy with the move. “Our block has two or three dog-lovers who feed street dogs, and the new feeding zone has come up around the place they have always fed them anyway. So there has been no major change. Residents are happy that the feeding will be contained to specific spots and that the rest of the streets will be free,” said secretary of CB Block, Arup Sunder Pal.
The genesis of this initiative dates back to a high court order in November 2024, about pointers to organise the efforts of individuals and NGOs who feed street dogs. The notice was communicated to civic bodies by the urban development department, and the BMC commissioner shared it with councillors, seeking their response. The high court order asked urban local bodies to choose feeding spots away from crowded places with children playing or people taking walks. The time of feeding was to be limited to before 7am and again from 7pm to 9pm. It asked feeders to maintain cleanliness and to not inconvenience others. But it clarified that no one can prohibit, harass or resist any caregiver who feeds community dogs.
A BMC official said that they had asked councillors to suggest feeding spots in their ward and that some had reverted. “As per their response, we have begun the first phase of putting up these boards. We have started from Salt Lake, in wards of councillors like Rajesh Chirimar, Banibrata Banerjee (FC, FD, FE, HA and GC Block) and Minu Das Chakraborty (Purbachal and blocks IA, GA, JA, JB, LA, LB, KA, KB).
Problem areas
“We are complying by the requirement as the court has ordered it,” said Banerjee, in whose ward six such boards have come up. “But I doubt it will have much impact as dog lovers can jolly well continue to feed them wherever they wish.”
An animal lover from Purbachal Cluster V, Jui Chakraborty, feels the same. “My councillor and ward workers know I feed dogs, so have put up a board opposite my house. This is fine with me, and I am feeding them there as I always have. But my staff and I also feed 250 dogs in 40 different places all over Salt Lake. Can the authorities demarcate so many feeding zones?” she asked. “Dogs are territorial animals and will not step into one another’s territory to eat. So, feeding zones would be required in every lane.”
She also says the time duration mentioned on the boards cannot be maintained. “It takes us five hours to feed 250 dogs,” she says. “My staff and I start at 5pm, and it continues till 10pm. We all have jobs and must adjust feeding times as per our office schedules,” Chakraborty said. But she also urged other feeders to maintain hygiene. “Some feeders dump rice on the footpath and walk away, and the remnants spread and make a mess. We serve food in plastic bowls that we take home to wash to reuse the next day. I also sweep the floor after feeding.”