Three feet under

Pimpri-Chinchwad, an industrial hub near Pune, puts its best paw forward, a pet cemetery with a civic body tag

It8217;s a familiar dread that haunts every pet owner 8212; the Hereafter when the family8217;s favourite German Shepherd or Siamese dies. Burial spaces are scarce in cities and government initiatives for animals in this aspect unheard of. But Pimpri-Chinchwad, an industrial hub home to Tata Motors, Bajaj Auto, Thermax and Philips has decided to make a little more room for its 8216;pet concern8217;.

The municipal corporation has decided to set up a burial ground for not just pets but also stray dogs, perhaps the first of its kind in the country. The chosen land is a one-acre open plot in Nehrunagar, tucked away from the industrial township and close to the Rose Garden. With a rich canopy of tall trees and dotted with shrubs, the civic body hopes there8217;s enough space for all and complaints from none.

8220;The one-acre land is ideally located. It is eco-friendly and easily accessible,8221; says the civic agency8217;s veterinary officer Satish Gore. 8220;Next to the open ground, we already have a dog house and a cattle pound. There should be no objection of from any quarter.8221;

The burial will cost Rs 50 for licensed dogs and Rs 100 for others. As of now, the township has more than 4,000 licensed dogs. 8220;If any other citizen wants to bury a stray, he or she will have to state their ownership,8221; says Gore. The corporation will issue a death certificate to the owner besides placing headstones to identify pets. Animals from other corporations, government departments and zoos, however, will be buried without charges. The civic agency is now roping in NGOs to get the project going.

The proposal will come up before the general body in a month but it is clear support is widespread.

8220;The plan for a burial ground for pets is very much in the pipeline. We are going to do it,8221; says Municipal Commissioner Dilip Band, stressing there will be no publicity.

Mayor Mangala Kadam is keeping her fingers crosssed. She was forced to bury the family Labrador at the Snake Park in Akurdi as the upmarket Sambhajinagar where she lived had no open space. 8220;I8217;m sure the plan will get all-round support. We all know how it is.8221;

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Retired Air Force personnel DG Baliga agrees. His ailing dog died last month and the family went through an ordeal to find 8220;decent burial space8221;. 8220;After much effort, when we managed to locate an open plot in Pimpri, a local resident tried to stop us, complaining that it will cause health hazard in the locality,8221; says Baliga. 8220;If the burial ground comes up, it would spur other civic bodies across the country to set up similar burial grounds for pets that are no less than family members.8221;

Standing committee chairperson Mai Dhore strikes an optimistic note: 8220;I don8217;t think anybody will oppose such a plan. We need a burial ground for pets that are often tossed in shabby places where vultures feed on them.8221;

As a team, recently, Kadam and Gore took on vociferous opposition to convert a non-functional art gallery in the town into a marketing place for self-help groups. Pets, they are sure, will be allowed to RIP without much of a controversy.