NT NETWORK
VALPOI
The Valpoi Municipal Council came under fire after hiring an agency and initiating dog sterilisation programme for the last two years. As many as 200 stray dogs in 10 wards of the Valpoi Municipal Council (VMC) area were successfully vaccinated in a mass anti-rabies vaccination drive undertaken by the VMC and they were released near the garbage treatment plant located at Sayyadnagar Valpoi, violating forest laws, besides posing a threat to the wildlife.
As many as 50 stray dogs roam freely in the forest area and then move in packs to residential areas.
A VMC officer when asked whether it was not wrong to release stray dogs near the garbage treatment plant located in the forest area and close to the vicinity of residential areas, he said, “What else can we do? There is no provision to kill the dogs. Somehow, we have to address the dog menace”, he said.
It is observed that VMC has sufficient place near the garbage treatment plant where stray animals including cattle and stray dogs can be accommodated or sheltered.
“Relocating dogs to forest areas is a serious offence” one of the officials from the forest department told this daily unofficially. He said that the dogs might kill slow-moving animals and birds nesting on the ground.
Meanwhile, the rise in number of stray dogs is also annoying the residents as some times the pack of dogs confront people at every corner of the town especially during late hours.
Rahat Shaikh said “There are a countless number of stray dogs in Valpoi and many people have fallen victims to dog bites”. She also narrated incidents of several minor accidents which took place near her house.
Another student Rohan who was a victim of a stray dog attack said that his bike was chased by stray dogs during the night and while dodging the canines his bike skidded resulting in an injury to his legs.
Voicing seriousness over the growing stray dog menace in his ward 7, councillor Sayyad Sarfaraz said that that previously some agency was taking care of the stray dogs but the same has been discontinued.
“The stray dog menace is everywhere in Goa. There is a scheme for stray cattle, in line with this scheme, the state government should look at the feasibility to implement a scheme for stray dogs too”, Sayyad added.