Jammu, May 9: Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC)-the premier civic body of the winter capital is without foolproof mechanism in place to curb the growing population of stray dogs which has already exceeded over twenty thousands and multiplying with the birth rate of 20-30 percent per year.
While Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) has started terilization program with the help  of veterinary sciences (SKUAST) Srinagar early this month, the Jammu Municipal Corporation has failed to take up a similar project here in winter capital.
In Srinagar a target has been set to sterilize atleast ten stray dogs per day, but JMC does not seem to be in a hurry to start sterilization   before the things go out of control.
Though JMC signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) under the Act of Animal Birth Control (Dogs) Rules, 2001, to take up “Humane Stray Dog Population Management” in January this year with Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) and Dean Faculty of Veterinary Science Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agriculture Science and Technology (SKUAST), Jammu, yet so far it has remained on papers.
Sources said that  JMC Commissioner and Vice Chancellor SKUAST, (J) were expected to hold a meeting  in the beginning of this month   to work out the plan on  the pattern of SMC, but the same was postponed  due to unknown reasons.
According to JMC officials, at present there are no procedure available with JMC to control the increasing population of the stray dogs.
Sources said that earlier JMC started sterilization in the year 2000 but gave up the exercise a year after in 2001 due to financial constraints.
While talking to Greater Kashmir, Veterinary Officer JMC Dr P R Bharti informed that under the project “Humane Stray Dog Population Management” the infrastructure costing Rs 80.62 lakhs would be created under the guidelines of Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) at a site identified at R S Pura.
The infrastructure to be created would include operation theatre, feeding, room   laboratory kennels for pre operation and post operation recovery room, kitchen for dogs, store and staff quarters,   hot and cold AC for operation use, genset and lighting, dog catching equipments, vehicles for catching and relocation, including fabrication, surgical and other equipments, , he                    added.
Dr Bharti further said that under the project an expert team of JMC would lift stray dogs from different areas within municipal limits and sent to SKUAST for sterilization.
He said during post - sterilization, the dogs would be fed there and given anti-rabies vaccination before dropping them to the areas from where they were captured.
According to the statistics available with JMC, there are more than twenty thousand stray dogs within Jammu municipal limits and their population is increasing with a birth rate of 20-30 percent per year. Female dogs breed twice a year, first in March-April and then in September-October.
When asked as whether taking a cue from SMC, JMC also has any plan to engage   unemployed youth as dog rearers, Dr, Bharti said, “There is no such plan with JMC as of now. We need only infrastructure and equipments and a little strength of manpower to manage all this.”

Lastupdate on : Wed, 9 May 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 9 May 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Thu, 10 May 2012 00:00:00 IST