Amended ABC rules put onus on Nagpur Municipal Corporation

NAGPUR: While Nagpur has been struggling for long to manage its stray population and avoid conflicts, the newly amended Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules 2023 have clearly spelt out the process to be followed.
According to the new norms notified by the ministry of fisheries, animal husbandry and dairying, the civic body can either carry out the sterilization of stray dogs through their own veterinary officials or an organization recognized by the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI). In both the cases, it is mandatory for the local authority or the organization to obtain a ‘certificate of project recognition’ from the board before carrying out the operations.
To ensure population control of strays, eradication of rabies and for reducing man-animal conflict, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) will now have to mandatorily constitute a local animal birth control monitoring committee. “This committee will meet at least once every month to assess the progress made in implementation of ABC programme,” the rules stated.
TOI learnt that NMC has been performing ABC operations at its animal shelter in Bhandewadi which is in violation of the amended rules. As per them, NMC needs to set-up specific centres for ABC with “sufficient number of kennels and veterinary hospital facilities”.
Stating that animal shelters and ABC centres can’t be the same, lawyer and animal welfare activist Ankita Shah said, “NMC can’t carry out ABC operations at Bhandewadi now. Also, it needs to choose an organization which is recognized by AWBI and has the mandatory certificate too.”
As reported by TOI, the stray population of the city is over 1 lakh. “For effective population control, NMC needs to target operating on this population in a time of six months, before the next breeding season. This means that the civic body needs to operate on more than 500 dogs per day which cannot happen at one centre. To implement the new rules, NMC need to start multiple centres across the city,” added Shah.
The new norms also state that a resident welfare association representatives of local body will have to provide designated feeding spots for community animals. “The spots should be identified keeping in mind the number of dog population and their respective territories. They must be far from children play areas, entry and exit points and staircase,” the norms stated.
NMC will have to start an animal helpline for resolving conflict and dog bite cases too.