Thanekars want stray dog population under control

Citizens of Thane are alleging that the canine population in the city has increased over the last two years with the Thane Municipal Corporation's (TMCs) veterinary department not sterilising dogs on a regular basis.

“We want the TMC to control their population in the city,” a Thane-based social activist said on Sunday.

A CCTV clip of an October 14 incident highlighted the issue, showing 7-8 dogs chasing kids in their posh Lodha Amara residential complex in the Kolshet area of Thane. Activists from the city say residents live in fear as dogs in their society have become very aggressive.

Sneha Singh, a social activist from Majiwada (Thane) said, “The society is not against dog and just want their population under control. These dogs have been charging and pouncing on women and children. Residents have complained to the TMC's veterinary department and local corporators several times but to no avail.”

According to Singh, this issue is not just limited to Lodha Amara and is visible all over Thane.

Local BJP leader Sanchin Shingare said, “Just a few days back, I got a letter from Wing 33 of Lodha Amara in Kolshet regarding the issue.I gave the letter to local BJP MLA Sanjay Kelkar who wrote a letter to the TMC to immediately resolve the issue. However, the TMC is not doing anything.” According to Shingare, the video clip of the latest incident is just a glimpse of what is “normal” in Thane as dogs frequently attack people.

Majiwada resident Mohit Sharma said, “We first went to Sanjay Bhoir who is a local corporator but didn't get any relief apart from a verbal assurance. After that, we connected with Shingare but it seems the TMC doesn't pay heed to MLAs either.”

Nia Singh – a model residing in Lodha Amara – said a dog aggressively barked at and followed her to the gate of the complex when she got out at night a week ago. “We feel extremely unsafe, especially during the night,” she said. Meanwhile, TMC officials remained unavailable for comment.