Lucknow: Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India], August 2 (ANI): In an effort to prevent dog attacks on children and the public, the Yogi government aims to establish Animal Birth Control Centers (ABC) in all municipal corporations and 58 district headquarters of Uttar Pradesh in a phased manner. The state government’s effort to establish ABC centers have resulted in sterilizations of over 2.16 lakh dogs so far.
Notably, ABC centers are being operated in 11 urban local bodies of the state. For establishing these centers, a budget provision of Rs 15 crore has been made. The ABC Rules-2023 also make the establishment of such centers mandatory.
The High Court has also issued directions regarding Animal Birth Control. It is worth mentioning here that due to the increasing urban population, the number of animals has also increased for their dependence on food and other essential resources. In the past few days, there has been a felt need to control their increasing numbers following life-threatening attacks on humans by animals.
Amrit Abhijat, the Principal Secretary of the Urban Development Department, said that the Yogi government is serious about preventing recent incidents of attacks by dogs on children and the public. In response, the government is encouraging the establishment of government and private Animal Birth Control Centers (ABC) and Dog Care Centers.
Currently, 11 ULBs are operating ABC centers, wherein Ayodhya and Lucknow have their own ABC centers. In the first phase, ABC centers are being set up in all 17 municipal corporations and in the second phase, the centers will be established in the remaining 58 district headquarters.
The operation of ABC will be carried out through NGOs, selected on the basis of the bidding process.
According to the guidelines, provisions have been made for the daily care of 41 dogs for UP ABC and a total of 30 dogs for the Dog Care Center. Additionally, the allocation of space for a Dog Park is also necessary. To make UP-ABC and the Dog Care Center self-sufficient, proposals for pet salons along with pet shops are being considered. Furthermore, registration counters, medicine rooms, surgical rooms, operation theaters, and ramps for differently-abled are essential requirements. —ANI
