BMC to use colour coding for accurate dog count

The exercise will include counting the number of dogs in select areas across the city for a sample survey. A senior official said,“We will soon finalise an agency that uses an expert method for counting dogs. In the first phase,the dogs of a specific area will be marked with a certain colour. The coding will be done in separate colours in the same area to identify neighbourhood and territorial dogs. This will ensure an exact count,” said Dr Arun Bamne , BMC’s executive health officer.

According to Ruchi Nadkarni,founder of World For All Animal Care and Adoption,“The census will help devise a more effective sterilisation programme. Also,the data generated will be of great help to NGOs and other ogranisations to identify and divert their resources in areas where dogs need more care. For example,there will be areas in the city where dogs need food or medical care. This will help us channel our resources in the right direction.”

The civic administration’s data point out that more than 200 people in the city were bitten by dogs every day in 2011. The number of bites recorded since 2001 is 6,50,000. According to civic officials,the number of dog bites in 2011 was up by over 50 per cent since 2007.

The surging population of stray dogs since 2007— which is currently estimated at about 1,50,000 — has led the civic body to plan for effective sterilisation drives. The BMC,which has constituted an expert group including civic officials,is expected to finalise an agency within a few weeks,said officials.

“Although the current sterilisation drives have been effective with a drop in the number of dog deaths in the past few years,a detailed census will help us plan such drives more effectively,” said Bamne.

Sterilisation programmes are being carried out in the city by eight organisations since November 13,2007. Till January 31 last year,49,000 dogs were sterilised.