Noida: Sterilisations 'too slow', based on estimates, not census

NOIDA: At least 70,000 stray dogs roam the city's streets, according to estimates by the Noida Authority, which claims to have sterilised 40,000 of them in the past five years.
Even by this count, which is not backed by a proper census, that still leaves 40% of the stray population outside the sterilisation programme's coverage.

The Noida Authority has employed two NGOs for the animal birth control programme, with officials claiming each sterilises nearly 20 dogs per day, i.e., 1,200 dogs per month.
Experts, however, questioned the way the programme is being implemented, saying the pace of sterilisation is slow and it has not been able to stop proliferation of strays on the city's roads.
Advocate Anjali Sharma, a former board member of the Animal Welfare Board of India, said, "The Noida Authority is not implementing the animal birth control (ABC) programme scientifically. It does not have basic information. A judgment passed by the Allahabad High Court in 2013 said a civic body should conduct a population survey of dogs before implementing the ABC programme."
"There has to be an empowered agency, which along with the RWAs and dog lovers locates dogs needing sterilisation. AWBI rules say these agencies should have proper infrastructure and funds, apart from catching teams and ambulances," she added.
Sterilisation also needs to be done timely. "A dog which needed to be sterilised in 2019 is getting sterilised in 2020; that will not serve the purpose. It will have its own family by then. A proper follow-up is also required. If a dog becomes aggressive, its behaviour has to be checked then and there," said Kaveri Rana, a canine rehabilitation expert.
The city's expansion is cited as another reason for the increasing stray dog population. "It is not dogs which are coming into our areas. We are encroaching upon their space," said Nisha Singh, a Greater Noida resident and dog lover. According to the Noida Authority, it has done two things to tackle the problem. It has started taking undertakings from RWAs on the success of the ABC programme before releasing funds to agencies (this followed accusations of agencies raising false bills).
It has also decided to build small dog shelters near residential societies to keep aggressive dogs. As a pilot project, four such places will open in sectors 34, 50, 93 and 135 within a month.
Indu Prakash Singh, officer on special duty at Noida Authority, said, "We are opening the four shelters after getting requests from RWAs. We will keep aggressive dogs there until they show behavioural changes. While we provide the space, it will be the responsibility of the RWA or dog lovers to take care of them. NGOs will also be involved."
But this move is likely to meet with stiff resistance. "I have never heard of anything so senseless and illegal. It will be challenged in court. Aggression will only fetch aggression. If dogs do not get food, they will become aggressive in search of food. Humans will have to understand this and not take any short-sighted approach. Feeding dogs helps befriend them, which in turn helps conduct the ABC and vaccination programmes easily," Sharma said. Residents demanded reforms in existing laws for healthy coexistence between humans and canines.
"Corrective measures are needed immediately. There could be much-needed reforms in the existing laws, and the administration needs to create better infrastructure," said Rajiva Singh, the Noida Federation of Apartment Owners Associations (NOFAA) president.