The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation’s Scoop the Poop drive to keep the streets free of droppings by pet dogs while owners take them for walks has been a failure.
Since November last year, the civic body’s veterinary department has fined only 25 pet owners for failing to clear their dog’s poop. Sources in the department said that the drive is not being enforced properly owing to acute staff shortage. Veterinary officers have been tasked with fining pet owners who fail to scoop their dog’s poop and dispose it off in a dustbin.
Vaibhav Zunjare, veterinary officer, NMMC, said, “There are 3,110 pet dogs in Navi Mumbai as per the 2012 livestock data. But with a strength of just eight officers it is a tough task to apprehend errant pet owners.”
Mr. Zunjare said that when veterinary officers approached errant pet owners, they sometimes let loose their dogs on the officers. He said, “There have been situations when the dogs have charged aggressively at officers. Pet owners have deliberately let the dogs out. Fearing bites, the officers avoid confronting the owners.”
Meanwhile, activists and pet owners have questioned the efforts taken by the corporation to install dustbins to dispose of poop.
Anand Siva, an animal rights activist, said, “The purpose of law should not be to penalise people but bring in discipline. One cannot enforce laws without having a proper system in place. The civic body should install sufficient bins to dispose of poop.”
Aarya Gupta, a resident of Vashi, said, “I am aware of the rule. However, I do not scoop my dog’s poop when I she relieves herself near plants. When she poops on the footpath, I scoop it with paper and leave it in a corner of the footpath as there are no bins.”
Dr. Yuvraj Kaginkar said, “The droppings of pets if not properly disposed of can lead to the spread of communicable diseases.”
