Work on care centre for dogs, cattle in Chandigarh delayed further

Sandeep Rana

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 1

While city residents have been complaining of stray dog bite cases and cattle menace, the already-delayed animal birth control (ABC) centre, which will house a cattle pound and a dog care shelter in Raipur Kalan, has been delayed further.

The facility, which had to come up last year, has again been delayed and the MC now claims the facility work will take three more months to complete.

Meanwhile, city ‘gaushalas’ and cattle pounds are forced to operate at the full capacity.

“Everybody knows the cattle enter from border areas such as Jagatpura, Mohali, Rajiv Colony and Faida. Why can’t the MC stop it? In city, rearing a cow is banned, then why the MC is releasing the confiscated cattle of the owners with city addresses,” questioned councillor Shakti Prakash Devshali.

MC Commissioner KK Yadav said: “After our cattle pound in Raipur is ready, we will be able to do more. In three months’ time, the facility will be ready.” Officials blame Covid as well as funds shortage for the delay in the construction.

Even the dog sterilisation drive would have gained pace had this facility started. At present, the civic body carries out the sterilisation at its Sector 38 centre, but Raipur Kalan one has a space for sterilising 1,000 dogs.

About 40 dog bite cases on an average are daily reported at the city medical facilities, though some of these are from the neighbouring towns.

The upcoming facility, which is built on 2 to 2.50 acres, will have hospital, laboratory, kitchen, parking lot and a dormitory for workers.

Former UT Adviser Manoj Parida had laid the foundation stone for the project in October 2019. It was supposed to be built in a year. However, it’s been almost two years and project is still incomplete.