Agartala — In a bid to address concerns related to the growing population of street dogs and ensure public safety, the Agartala Municipal Corporation (AMC) has decided to undertake extensive measures for the sterilisation and management of stray dogs within its jurisdiction. The decision was announced by Mayor Dipak Majumder on Friday following a high-level meeting held at the AMC conference hall.
Speaking to media persons, the Mayor said that an estimated census indicates the presence of over 1,200 stray dogs across the Agartala Municipal Corporation area. He referred to a recent Supreme Court verdict, which clearly places the responsibility of protecting city residents from potential threats posed by street dogs on civic bodies, while also mandating the humane treatment and protection of the animals.
“The responsibility to safeguard citizens from dog attacks and, at the same time, to ensure that street dogs are not subjected to cruelty lies with the civic administration. This meeting has been convened in the presence of officials from the Animal Resource Development Department to chalk out a well-defined and humane strategy to manage the situation effectively,” Majumder said.
He stressed that animal birth control would be a key component of the drive, in line with the new rules that make it mandatory for urban local bodies to implement sterilisation programmes for stray dogs. To ensure the success of the initiative, AMC plans to launch intensive awareness campaigns across all municipal wards.
The Mayor also highlighted the need to educate citizens, especially pet dog owners, about their responsibilities under the existing rules. “People must be made aware of their duties and the role they need to play as responsible citizens in maintaining harmony between humans and animals,” he added.
Addressing public safety concerns, Majumder said that aggressive street dogs involved in attacking pedestrians would be identified and shifted to designated shelter homes to prevent inconvenience and ensure safety.
The AMC’s initiative aims to strike a balance between public safety, animal welfare, and legal compliance, ensuring a more orderly and humane approach to managing street dogs in the city.
