Gurgaon's Ambitious Stray Dog Control Program Faces Cost Concerns
The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) has taken a significant step toward addressing the city's growing stray dog population by awarding a two-year contract to a Madhya Pradesh-based nonprofit for large-scale sterilisation and anti-rabies vaccination. However, the allocated budget of Rs 700 per sterilisation procedure has raised serious concerns among residents' associations and veterinary experts about the program's feasibility and quality.
Contract Details and Implementation Timeline
On Friday, November 29, 2024, MCG formally awarded the contract to Maa Baglamukhi Sewa Samiti, an organization headquartered in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh. The agreement empowers the NGO to conduct sterilisation and mass anti-rabies vaccination of stray dogs across all four zones of Gurgaon under the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules 2023.
The corporation issued two separate work orders, each covering two zones of the city. According to the contract terms, the agency will receive Rs 700 for each sterilisation procedure and Rs 250 for administering anti-rabies vaccination to every stray dog. Field operations commenced on Saturday, November 30, and are scheduled to continue until November 28, 2027.
All medical procedures, including post-operative care and eventual release of the animals, must receive prior approval from the MCG Chief Medical Officer. The agency has been instructed to immediately coordinate with sanitary inspectors across the city to obtain area-specific details about stray dog populations.
Official Justification and NGO's Assurance
MCG Commissioner Pradeep Dahiya emphasized the critical need for this initiative, citing the increasing stray dog population and persistent rabies threat in the city. "Sterilisation and vaccination remain the only scientific and humane methods to control population growth and eliminate rabies transmission risks. With this contract, we have successfully brought the entire municipal area under the ABC program," Dahiya stated.
Pankaj Kumar Shukla, vice-president of Maa Baglamukhi Sewa Samiti, defended the cost structure, explaining that "Since we operate on a non-profit basis and procure medical supplies in bulk quantities, these costs become manageable. We will deploy our doctors from Jabalpur and are currently establishing connections with local organizations in Gurgaon for additional support as required."
MCG officials revealed that the corporation has faced mounting pressure to expand the ABC program following numerous complaints about dog bites and growing public safety concerns in residential and commercial areas. This contract marks the first time in recent years that the entire municipal jurisdiction will be covered under a single, coordinated animal birth control drive.
Residents and Experts Voice Serious Concerns
Despite official assurances, Resident Welfare Associations and veterinary professionals have expressed strong skepticism about the allocated budget. At Suncity Township in Sector 54, the RWA reportedly spends at least Rs 5,000 for sterilising each stray dog—a significant increase from pre-pandemic costs.
Kusum Sharma, chairperson of Suncity RWA, questioned the feasibility: "How can proper sterilisation be accomplished for just Rs 700? There's a tendency to award tenders to substandard companies instead of reputable local organizations with proven track records. This pricing seems completely unrealistic for quality medical procedures."
Sudhir Sachdeva, founder of Delhi-based nonprofit Stand for Animals and a Gurgaon resident, called the amount "illogical," stating that "Considering ambulance transportation costs, qualified veterinary fees, and proper facility requirements, the procedure cannot be performed adequately at that rate. Even at mass scale, each dog requires approximately Rs 1,500-2,000 for comprehensive care."
Dr. Abhishek Singh, a senior veterinarian with animal welfare organization Friendicoes, provided a detailed cost breakdown: "The Animal Welfare Board of India guidelines estimate minimum costs of Rs 1,600 per dog. The process involves capturing strays, transporting them to surgical facilities, administering pre-operative antibiotics and medications, performing surgery, and providing three days of post-operative care. Over five days, expenses include fuel for transport vehicles, salaries for caretakers and doctors, utility bills, and food supplies. Proper sterilisation simply cannot happen at Rs 700."
For context, the municipal body in neighboring Delhi currently pays NGOs Rs 1,000 per dog for sterilisation procedures.
Background and Additional Initiatives
The MCG had been planning to scale up vaccination and sterilisation efforts since August, following Supreme Court directives regarding stray dog management. The court initially ordered street dog removal, later modified the directive, and subsequently requested removal of strays from institutional premises.
Prior to this contract, MCG collaborated with two NGOs operating animal birth control centers at Baliawas and Kherki Majra. Those contracts expired several months ago. Currently, Gurgaon municipality maintains only two functional dog-catching vehicles.
In a parallel development, on October 28, MCG signed a memorandum of understanding with Vedanta Group's Anil Agarwal Foundation. This partnership aims to establish and operate ABC centers at Begumpur Khatola and Basai, with plans for additional facilities to cover all municipal wards. The MoU also envisions mobile health clinic vehicles, an animal hospital, and a crematorium for future implementation.
MCG Joint Commissioner Preetpal Singh previously indicated the corporation's goal to increase monthly vaccination and sterilisation numbers from 300 to 1,200 procedures.
When questioned about cost concerns, MCG executive engineer Sunder Sheoran, who awarded the tender, stated that the agency had justified their pricing during bid evaluation. "They presented documentation and examples of similar work performed in and around Jabalpur. Among four bidding participants, they demonstrated capability. The agency will operate independently from the Vedanta foundation initiative," Sheoran clarified.
As Gurgaon moves forward with this ambitious stray management program, the effectiveness of the Rs 700 sterilisation model remains to be seen, with animal welfare advocates and residents watching closely for implementation quality and outcomes.
