Sambalpur, Dec. 27: The municipality’s proposal to build a kennel to check canine menace here is yet to take of as a patch of land is yet to be identified for the purpose.

Executive officer of the Sambalpur Municipality Anirudhha Padhan said: “The funds for the proposed project has already been sanctioned. We have Rs 12 lakh for construction of the kennel. However, we are yet to get a suitable land to carry out the project.”

“We were planning to build the kennel on the premises of office of the chief district veterinary officer in Sambalpur. However, the proposal could not be materialised, as we did not get sufficient land there. Then we thought of having the centre at Badbazar, but local residents are opposing the move there. We are still in search of a suitable patch. Once we get the land for the project, we will start work,” said Padhan.

The municipality has already procured a dog-catching vehicle, which, however, remains unused because of the absence of a kennel.

On the other hand, unrestricted growth of stray dogs has become a major problem for residents. “Cases of dog bite are on the rise in the city. The civic body has adopted a casual attitude towards the problem. There have been several cases of stray dogs attacking people in the city in the recent past,” said local resident Bibhu Mohanty.

A source in the district headquarters hospital said: “At least 100 dog-bite cases are reported in the district headquarters hospital in Sambalpur every month. ”

“It is the responsibility of the civic body to provide relief to the residents of the city from this threat. The civic body should immediately identify a land for the kennel. And it should take initiative to check the stray dog population as well,” said another local resident Manoj Singh.