The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has intensified its efforts to comply with a recent Supreme Court judgment mandating the relocation of stray dogs to permanent shelters. On Friday, the civic body dispatched a reminder letter to the Khurda collector, urging the allocation of a piece of land to facilitate the construction of a dedicated shelter.
BMC officials have stated that a minimum of 10 acres is required to establish the shelter, which will provide permanent accommodation for stray dogs along with all essential facilities. Debi Prasad Kund, who oversees the Animal Birth Control (ABC) program undertaken by the BMC, confirmed the development. "As per the direction of the BMC commissioner, we have written a letter again to the Khurda collector seeking his help to fetch a piece of land for the dog shelter. We will expedite the construction work once the land is allotted," he said.
Earlier, the BMC had confirmed that not a single stray dog had been shifted from public institutions to any shelter as directed by the Supreme Court in November. The corporation cited the lack of land from the Khurda district administration as the primary reason for the delay.
Stray dogs are commonly found near institutions and public places such as bus stands, hospitals, airports, railway stations, schools, colleges, and government and private offices within the BMC limits. Following the Supreme Court order, the BMC has been actively seeking land to implement the directive. The plan involves capturing stray dogs and relocating them to permanent shelters.
The ABC wing of the BMC has identified 457 institutions where stray dogs have been frequently reported to create a nuisance. The civic body plans to undertake phased catching and rehabilitation in line with the Supreme Court's direction. The identified locations largely include stadiums, hospitals, schools, and college premises, where stray dogs tend to loiter in search of food. To prevent dogs from entering these premises and to reduce repeated congregation around food sources, the BMC has advised such institutions to construct boundary walls.
