NDMC to conduct dog census; last canine count in 2009

Amid rising number of dog bite cases in Delhi, the NDMC has decided to conduct a canine census in its area beginning with the Walled City, six years after such an exercise was taken up by the then unified MCD.
"Stray dog census would be conducted in our areas. Out of the six zones, we will begin the exercise with two zones -- City and Sadar Paharganj ourselves while for the rest four we have already floated tenders for private agencies," a senior NDMC official told PTI.
City and Sadar Paharganj Zones fall under the Old City, where a case of fatal dog bite was reported a few months ago, and the North Delhi Municipal Corporation said the Walled City area, being more populated and congested, was chosen on a "priority basis".

"Street dog menace is a major issue in the city and we have been trying to address it through various means, whether it is opening of sterilisation centres or procurement of dog-catching vans," he said.
NDMC's Standing Committee Chairman Mohan Bhardwaj in the panel's meeting today said, "10 new vans costing nearly Rs 54 lakh would be procured soon to catch stray dogs."
No official census of streets dogs in Delhi has taken place in the last six years even as the South Delhi Municipal Corporation had been planning to conduct a fresh one in its area.

The last count of street dogs was done in 2009 for the then Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) which had pegged their population at around 5.62 lakh. The MCD was trifurcated into - North, South and East Corporations in 2012.

Cases of dog bites, including children being fatally attacked by them in areas such as Darya Ganj and Okhla, have raised concern about street safety in the city.
The death of a seven-year-old boy in Jamia Nagar area last August after being attacked by a pack of dogs had prompted both the Delhi High Court and National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to take cognisance of the issue which later had issued notice to the civic bodies.
"We are committed to ensure safety of citizens and that is why we will soon be also opening our three new sterlisation centres in Rohini, Timarpur and Shradhanand Marg. We already have started one in Udyog Vihar's Peeragarhi area but the operation have been currently stalled due to water issues but we will resume soon," the official said.

"Along with the drivers for dog-catching vans, two trained dog catchers would also be hired. Besides, an ambulance van as a mobile sterilisation and immunisation centre is also on the cards," Bhardwaj said.
"A register would be maintained with details about dogs getting sterilised and vaccinated. Dangerous and rabid dogs would be kept in separately," he said.
The number of sterilised dogs for NDMC from April 2012 to June 2015 stands at 19,128.