Hyderabad: To tackle the problem of stray dogs and reduce dog bite incidents, the State government plans to create a top-level committee. This committee will include senior officials from various government departments and members of the Blue Cross. Their task will be to develop an action plan.
On Monday, Dana Kishore, Principal Secretary of Municipal Administration, held a high-level meeting with officials from the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), the Veterinary department, Blue Cross members, and other animal welfare organizations. He announced the formation of this apex committee.
Dana Kishore stressed the importance of an Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) campaign. The goal is to educate Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs), slum federations, and schoolchildren about dog behavior. He also instructed that animal care centers be set up in all urban local bodies across the State as quickly as possible.
“A training program for all sanitary workers, field sanitary assistants, women’s self-help groups, and mothers’ groups should be conducted in every GHMC ward within the next week to raise awareness about stray dogs,” said Dana Kishore.
He added that similar training programs should also be conducted in all urban local bodies (ULBs) across the State. GHMC officials have been directed to establish a few shelter homes for stray dogs in the city on a trial basis.
GHMC Commissioner Amrapali Kata said that the GHMC will conduct surveys of stray dogs in the city. They will also carry out sterilization drives and provide anti-rabies vaccinations for all street dogs. Additionally, the GHMC will promote pet dog registration and eliminate Garbage Vulnerable Points (GVP) to prevent street dogs from gathering. Proper food waste disposal will be ensured by hotels, restaurants, and function halls. Crèches will be made mandatory at construction sites to protect children of construction laborers from unattended dog attacks.
The participants discussed the challenges of managing stray dogs and agreed that coordination among all departments is crucial. They also highlighted the need to educate both pet dog owners and people who feed stray dogs.
The meeting included CDMA V P Gautham, Director of Animal Husbandry Gopi, MAUD Additional Secretary Saida, Amala Akkineni from Blue Cross, doctors from veterinary colleges, and GHMC officials.
