BMC writes Khurda admn for dog shelter land

Bhubaneswar: Following the recent Supreme Court judgment regarding relocation of stray dogs to permanent shelter, Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Friday wrote a reminder letter to Khurda collector urging him to allot a piece of land so that the former can take up construction work.

BMC officials said they need at least 10 acres to make the shelter, where dogs can stay permanently with all basic facilities. “As per the direction of BMC commissioner, we have written a letter again to the Khurda collector seeking his help to fetch a piece of land for the dog shelter. We will expedite the construction work once the land is allotted,” said Debi Prasad Kund, who oversees animal birth control (ABC) programme undertaken by BMC.

Earlier, BMC confirmed that not a single stray dog was shifted from public institutions to any shelter as directed by SC in Nov. It said it was awaiting land from the Khurda district administration for the purpose.

BMC officials said stray dogs are found near institutions and places like bus stands, hospitals, airports, railway stations, schools, colleges, and govt and private offices under BMC limits. After the SC order came, BMC has since then sought land. It said dogs will be caught and brought to shelters permanently.

The ABC wing of BMC so far has identified 457 institutions where stray dogs were frequently reported to be creating a nuisance, with the civic body planning phased catching and rehabilitation in line with the SC direction. The identified locations largely included stadiums, hospitals, schools and college premises, where stray dogs tend to loiter in search of food. The civic body advised such institutions to create boundary walls to prevent dogs from entering their premises and to reduce repeated congregation around food sources.