ABC of dog-human conflict amid paralysis of action
By Bhavna Pant
New Delhi, March 2: After the tragic deaths of a four-year-old boy and two other toddlers who were mauled by a pack of dogs in Hyderabad, Noida in Delhi National Capital region and Bareilly respectively within a fortnight, there were usual ‘war cries’ against stray dogs. The reaction is natural.
The worrying part is that the incident-specific-one-time- public ‘outrage’ die down soon awaiting another tragedy to happen in the surroundings. More unfortunately, the stray dogs-human conflicts in the cities and townships trigger a rather haphazard and confused responses from public, administration, animal activists to even judiciary.
Ironically, none seeks to know and implement the ABC of the subject at hand. Animal Birth Control (ABC) – the World Health Organisation (WHO) initiated programme — is key to solving stray population, which is good for the canines as also for the public. It has been three decades since ABC had come into effect..!
The ABC envisaged systematic birth control operations of the street dogs, particularly the female ones, to check their population and facilitate a happier and dignified life with human species who often get unnerved by their overwhelming presence. But in contrast what do we have in the name of the ABC programne across the states is zero will and zero planning. Where the money allotted for the ABC programne goes? In Delhi itself one can see unsterilized strays abound in several government hospitals and university colleges. Why can’t local municipalities or government agencies get strays operated at least in the institutions where they live permanently and can be located easily.
In the last 30 years in Delhi, I have not seen a single and systematic year-long campaign by the government, in coordination and support of NGOs and public to sterilize stray dogs and thus mitigate the problem. The scenario is same in most of the states and other metropolitan cities.
A five-year definitive and sincere implementation of the ABC programme would have reduced the stray population in the country by at least 50 percent not requiring inhuman and insane tactics as adopted by some in Kerala otherwise the most literate state to tackle the dog population there.
The lesser the numbers of strays the lesser would be the pressure and related disputed towards feeding them. The ABC implementation may also eliminate or check the number of ferocious or ‘rogue dogs’ from the streets.
The Hyderabad incident has many versions and again speaks volumes on the non-implementation of ABC by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation. As per the mayor of Hyderabad an elderly lady used to feed meat to these dogs but she was not seen for some days. Hunger could have possibly been the reason for the violent dogs. The boy was reportedly carrying a packet of food. The incident has shaken up the authorities from slumber. Now hurriedly the actions are being taken to catch stray dogs and not only in Hyderabad but other states like Odisha has also ordered to ‘wipe out the stray dogs’.
As usual, this seems to be an exercise in treating symptoms than the disease itself. Whenever such incidents take place and authorities get suddenly activated and without any planning start throwing dogs in dog ponds. (To be concluded…)
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