MoU soon to curb stray dog menace in Patna

PATNA: With a view to curbing the menace of stray dogs on city roads, the Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) is likely to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with a Ghaziabad-based firm within a fortnight.
According to sources, the firm will catch stray dogs from all the 75 wards under the PMC and conduct sterilization, birth control and anti-rabies programmes.
“After carrying out sterilization and birth-control measures, the firm will take care of the male dogs for at least five days and the females for almost a week. They will then be left in the same locality from where they were caught,” a civic body official claimed.
PMC’s public relations officer (PRO) Harshita told this newspaper that the firm would spring into action after signing an MoU with the civic body in the next 10 days.
“The firm will keep a record of all the dogs that were trapped, sterilized and released. A 24-hour helpline number for reporting problems related to stray dogs will also be issued,” she said, adding that the firm would update all the information on a mobile app in order to maintain transparency.
The PMC will reportedly make all the necessary arrangements required by the firm for carrying out sterilization and birth-control measures.
Asked about similar attempts, which failed to materialize in the past, the PMC PRO replied, “Last year in March, we had selected a private firm for the purpose, but the bidding process could not be finalized. This time, we are making sure that the work is taken up on a priority basis,” Harshita said.
Meanwhile, residents, who face the menace of stray dogs on a daily basis, have hailed the PMC’s initiative.
“The population of stray dogs has increased considerably. They bark consistently, especially at night, and even attack people,” said Gopal Pandey, a resident of Gola Road.