Mohali Municipal Corporation extends stray dog sterilisation contract for 9 months, but public questions persist

As per official records, CAWA claims to sterilise 10 to 15 stray dogs daily, averaging around 260 dogs a month. Each sterilisation costs Rs 1,125, resulting in an estimated Rs 2.92 lakh per month and Rs 26.32 lakh for nine months.

However, residents say the situation on the ground tells a different story. Packs of stray dogs continue to roam freely across markets, parks, and residential areas, causing fear, especially among children and the elderly. Locals allege the programme exists mostly on paper, questioning why the stray population keeps increasing instead of decreasing despite lakhs being spent.

“If sterilisation is happening every day, why are there more dogs on the streets now than before?” asked a resident. Several citizens have also raised concerns about the lack of transparency and monitoring in the sterilisation drive.

Municipal Health Officer Dr Sanjeev Kamboj confirmed that the contractor’s previous term expired on September 8, which had temporarily halted operations. “The extension proposal has been passed by the F&CC, and the work will resume in the next two to three days,” he said.

Citizens, however, insist that merely extending the contract won’t solve the crisis. They demand that the MC focus on quality and outcomes, not just paperwork.

It’s evident that while bureaucratic delays in the tender process may have forced the MC’s hand, public trust in both the civic body and CAWA appears to be waning fast as stray dog numbers and complaints continue to climb.