Suresh Kumar, BBMP mull over ways to rein in dogs

The gruesome killing of one-and-a-half-year-old Prashanto by dogs on Wednesday at Bagalur, while his parents were working at a brick kiln, has caused the state government to pay renewed attention to the danger posed by the large number of stray dogs.

Urban development minister S Suresh Kumar called a meeting on Friday, with mayor SK Nataraj, deputy mayor N Dayanand, several corporators and the commissioner of the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike, Siddaiah.

Suresh Kumar said that the state government would discuss with advocate-general Ashok Harnahalli the possibility of filing an impleading application in the Supreme Court on the case relating to relaxation of the animal protection laws to make culling possible, to contain the street dog ‘menace’.

Citing an instance from another city corporation, the minister said that the Brihanmumbai Mahanagara Palike had filed a similar application to relax animal protection laws to control the dog menace in 2007.

“We will explain to the Supreme Court about the instances of stray dogs attacking and killing humans. Currently, under the law, dogs can only be killed if they are terminally ill, ferocious or rabid,” Suresh Kumar said, adding that he had witnessed instances of newspaper delivery boys being attacked by street dogs in the morning as they rode their cycles.

Suggesting ways in which the street dog menace could be contained, Suresh Kumar said, “Street dogs could also be caught and kept in pounds. The BBMP can also conduct the Animal Birth Control programme to prevent breeding. That measure will be more palatable to dog-lovers, who would be happy that they are not killed,” adding that the matter was a sensitive one  and culling dogs was bound to evoke vehement opposition from animal lovers.

JP Park corporator BR Nanjundappa said that when such incidents of violent attacks occurred in the not-so-distant past, local authorities would just kill dogs. “These days, we conduct the ABC programme instead. But once a sterilised dog is released back on the streets, it is sometimes even more ferocious,” Nanjundappa said.

BBMP commissioner Siddaiah said that the BBMP could acquire about 20 acres of land in all the zones, with the purpose of housing stray dogs. This could come as huge relief to the nearly 80 lakh people of the city, he said.

Pervez Ahmad Piran, joint director, animal husbandry department, BBMP, said, “My personal opinion is that there should be both culling as well as keeping stray dogs in special pounds. There should also be an intensive animal birth control programme.”

Suresh Kumar said that all opinions and courses of action would be considered, and a plan would be chalked out to deal with the stray dog problem. The urban development minister declared that a compensation amount of `1 lakh from the mayor’s relief fund would be offered to the parents of Prashanto, who had moved to Bagalur from Orissa to work in the brick kiln.

“Even though the incident did not occur within the strict limits of the BBMP, we will be providing compensation as a humanitarian gesture,” the minister said. Deputy mayor N Dayanand would hand over the money to the baby’s parents.