Mumbai, April 22: Nine years after the BMC submitted in the Bombay High Court that to tackle the growing dog menace in the city, it plans to implement extensive dog sterilisation programmes and shift the sterilised dogs permanently to exclusive shelters, there has been no progress in building the dog shelter.
Around 25 acres of land was identified in Palghar’s Wada; however, the corporation is yet to get possession of the land, let alone build the shelter.
Delay in land possession
"There is some acres of land the state government had promised to the BMC in Wada, Palghar. However, years down the line, the land is still not in the possession of the BMC, due to various issues, including opposition by villagers. There is no point in only sterilising the dogs and leaving them back on the streets if the administration really wants to tackle the dog menace in Mumbai. There is a lack of will to build the exclusive dog shelter," said Dr Saeeda Khan, the NCP corporator and civic standing committee member.
Fresh sterilisation proposal approved
On Wednesday, a proposal of Rs 23.30 crore was sanctioned in the standing committee to sterilise 1,34,940 stray dogs in the next three years. Although the committee gave its nod to the proposal, questions were raised both by the ruling Mahayuti and opposition members on the current status of the dog menace across Mumbai.
Concerns over spending and impact
Congress corporator Tulip Miranda said, "The BMC has spent Rs 70 crores on stray dog sterilisation since 1998. Despite spending as much as Rs 12,000 per dog, there is hardly any relief from the stray dog menace in Mumbai. Additionally, there is no proper dog shelter in the metropolis. The work done by the NGOs in the last 28 years is an eyewash. At a time when we are sensitive about dogs, we should prioritise human safety and health too."
Dog population data and projections
As per a BMC report of 2024, the estimated free-roaming dog population across 24 wards in Mumbai was 90,757, which was a 21.8% decrease compared to the 2014 estimates. In the 2014 survey, there were an estimated 95,172 free-roaming dogs in Mumbai.
Under its Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme, the BMC has sterilised 62.9% of the total stray dog population. In the proposal tabled in the standing committee on Wednesday, the administration said that according to the dog survey conducted in January 2024, out of the 90,757 dogs existing at that time, it was observed that 33,671 stray dogs had not been sterilised (22,447 male dogs and 11,224 female dogs).
Considering the number of unsterilised dogs and the dog birth rate, if 11,224 female dogs give birth to an estimated four puppies in a year, the expected number of stray dogs in the ten years from 2024 to 2033 will be 4,48,947. The number of dogs that underwent surgery during the period from 2017 to August 2025 is 1,53,622.
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Call for urgent action
Shiv Sena group leader Amey Ghole said, "Despite putting in efforts, there is hardly any relief from the stray dog menace in Mumbai. The land in Palghar for the dog shelter is still under process of handover. Although it is of utmost necessity to ensure the BMC gets possession of the land and builds an exclusive dog shelter, the legal parameters need to be checked following the latest Supreme Court judgement on stray dogs and their rehabilitation."
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