Workers of municipal corporation catch stray dogs from various parts of Cuttack for sterilisation

Cuttack, April 23: The municipal corporation has geared up to tackle the stray dog menace by resuming its dog sterilisation programme in the city.

The drive had been put on hold for the past five months.

Over 65 stray dogs have been sterilised since the driver resumed last week. The Cuttack Municipal Corporation plans to increase the sterilisation rate once tenders for the programme are finalised next month.

Sources said the civic body had allowed the existing NGO to continue the drive keeping in view complaints regarding stray dog menace at various wards within the corporation limits.

“We have extended the agreement with the Mahila Vikash Samiti for a period of two months, and already, the agency has resumed the drive,” said city health officer P.K. Pradhan.

The NGO has been carrying out the sterilisations at the dog pound at Sartol that has 77 kennels. Earlier, the annual sterilisation rate was between 1,700 and 3,000 with 10 sterilisations done each day. However, the drive was stopped after most of the kennels at the dog pound had been damaged by cyclone Phailin last October.

The civic body officials have already restored most of the damaged kennels and efforts are on to increase the sterilisation rate.

“We have already received two bids, which will be opened and finalised after the counting of votes on May 16. We have decided to intensify the dog sterilisation programme after finalising the new tenders by the first week of June,” Pradhan said.

The Mahila Vikas Samiti charges Rs 445 for sterilisation, immunisation and medication for each dog. A civic body official said that during the special drive, stray dogs were caught from various localities.

“We are happy that the civic body initiated measures to catch a group of seven stray dogs that were causing severe inconvenience to the residents here over the past month,” said Ushashree Swain, a resident of Bidanasi. Civic officials are planning to seek co-operation from the public in catching the stray dogs.