Dogs hound AMC health panel

AMC’s health and solid waste management committee is fighting a unique battle - how to end the dog menace in the city! The issue, which was raised on several occasions in the past, was again discussed in the health panel’s meeting on Saturday. Raising the issue, Congress corporator Udesinh Solanki said on an average, 1,600 people become victims of stray dogs every month in the city. He said a man recently died in Chenpur area because of dog bite.

Chairman of the committee Praful Raval said that the administration had been asked to be more aggressive on curbing the menace. “The administration has been asked to deploy two vans per ward to catch the stray dogs and sterilise them,” Raval said and added that the number of vaccination centres would also be increased.

The civic body has also changed the rules regarding giving vaccines to the residents. Earlier, the victims had to present the proof of his residence to take vaccine from AMC vaccination centres. Now, any victim, irrespective of his residential area, will be provided with the vaccine at AMC vaccination centres.

Raval said the civic body spends around Rs2 crore on dog bite vaccines in AMC-run hospitals. In 2008, around 24,500 dog bite cases were reported at AMC-run hospitals such as Shardaben hospital, Vadilal Sarabhai Hospital and LG hospital. Though the civic body had awarded dog sterilisation projects worth Rs2.5 crore to two NGOs in September 2007, it has got only a little success. According to an estimate, there are more than 2.5 lakh stray dogs in the city.