Focus on KMC’s sterilization drive after dog deaths

KOLKATA: Around 15 stray dogs have died and a number of them have gone missing from areas in south Kolkata ever since the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) started a sterilization drive in March. A section of KMC councillors has prepared a preliminary report on the number mismatch and has demanded a detailed probe into it.

Data available from seven KMC wards in south Kolkata and its fringes reveals that stray dogs picked up from Dhakuria, Chetla, Netaji Nagar, Naktala, Patuli, New Garia and Bijoygarh have become victims of ‘carelessness’ of a KMC team of officials who are associated with the sterilization programme.Though the exact number of missing dogs from all these areas is not known, an estimate prepared by councillors puts the number at 50.
Apart from KMC councillors, residents of large areas of south Kolkata have also been knocking on the doors of the health department top brass to inquire about the missing dogs from their respective localities.
Sreerampore Road resident Anita Chowdhury discovered that two stray dogs which she used to care for had gone missing from her locality three weeks ago. Chowdhury lodged a complaint with Patuli police station, but the cops referred the case to the health department. Unable to get any information, the homemaker went to a local Trinamool Congress leader and requested him to help her search for the dogs.
Of the eight dogs picked up from Tollygunge government quarters by the health department, three died and four were returned sick. Similarly, at Raipur in Layelka area, six dogs were picked up for sterilization. “Of these, one died and four were brought back after they fell ill. When I inquired about the reason of the dog’s death, the KMC officials could not give an explanation,” alleged Debasish Mukherjee, the RSP councillor of the area (ward 99).
Mukherjee on Friday submitted a list of the number of dogs that had died to Atin Ghosh, mayor-in-council member overseeing the health department. Mukherjee also felt there was something suspicious about the spending of funds for the drive. “We have received a list of about 2,600 dogs that the health department claimed to have brought under the sterilization programme. We have our doubts and demand a ward-wise number of dogs that have been sterilized,” Mukherjee said.
Atin Ghosh said he had no information about unnatural deaths of dogs picked up for the drive. “I will seek a report from the health department and only then can I comment,” he said.