Cuttack: The municipal corporation will shortly resume its stray dog sterilisation programme.

The number of stray dogs have been rising at an alarming rate since the civic body's dog sterilisation drive was discontinued in 2014 due to funds crunch and lack of infrastructure.

Municipal commissioner Bikash Ranjan Mohapatra said on Sunday said that in order to control the stray dog population, the municipal corporation will shortly implement the animal birth control-cum-anti rabies vaccination (ABC/ARV) programme.

The programme will involve isolation of each stray dog for seven days for sterilisation and immunisation with anti-rabies vaccine. They will be provided medicines and food during the time before release. The process entails an expenditure of Rs 450 per dog.

"Implementation of the programme will follow finalisation of tenders for supplying diet to the dogs and for supply of allopathic medicines and surgical equipment by the end of this month," Mohapatra said.

Sources said the private party getting the contract would supply food for the adult dogs at the Sartol dog pound with a capacity of 75 kennels and at the dog yard at Buxi Bazar (which is under construction) with a capacity of 20 kennels.

Under the ABC programme, diet will be supplied twice a day for seven days.

"We intend to start with 10 to 20 dogs a day and spend a maximum of Rs 25 for two feeds a day for each dog per day. We intend to spend a maximum of Rs 4 lakh a year on the ABC and ARV programmes," the municipal commissioner said. The civic body already has a dog-catching vehicle. It has decided to conduct its own animal birth control programme with the help of the veterinary surgeon provided by the government.

Although no official canine population count is available, conservative estimates put the stray dog population in the city at over 60,000. Not many in the civic administration are optimistic about the success of the programme in controlling stray dog menace.

An official in the civic body's health wing said: "The situation warrants spaying and neutering of at least 10,000 stray dogs a year. It will not be possible with the funds available for implementing the programme."