Cuttack: Orissa high court has expressed concern over the stray dog menace in Cuttack city in the absence of an animal birth control (ABC) programme.
This was due to a delay on the part of Animal Welfare Board of India to give an NOC to Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) to implement the ABC programme.
The CMC had submitted the application for the NOC as required under Animal Birth Control Rules, which the central govt had notified on March 10, 2023, to address the management of stray dog population through sterilisation and immunisation programmes.
The HC bench dealing with civic problems in Cuttack had taken up the issue of stray dog menace nearly four months back. It had directed CMC to submit an action plan to deal with it after the high court bar association had raised concern about it.
Subsequently, when the matter was taken up on Sept 5, CMC health officer Satyabrata Mohapatra informed the court that an application was filed before the chairman of the Animal Welfare Board of India on March 19 for an NOC to undertake the sterilisation programme. However, the CMC was yet to receive the NOC.
The Bench of Justice Sangam Kumar Sahoo and Justice V Narasingh has now listed the matter on Dec 19.