Bhopal has no shelter home for stray dogs:81 dog bite victims reach hospitals daily despite ₹8.56 cr spent on sterilisation vaccination

The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed authorities to remove stray and dangerous dogs from public places such as schools, hospitals, railway stations and bus stands. However, implementing the order in Bhopal may prove difficult, as the city does not have a single functional dog shelter. According to Municipal Corporation data, Bhopal has nearly 1.20 lakh stray dogs. Despite the growing stray dog population and rising complaints, no permanent dog shelter exists in the city, and officials say there is little possibility of one becoming operational in the next few months. ₹8.56 crore spent, yet dog bite cases continue to rise Over the last five years, the Bhopal Municipal Corporation has spent ₹8.56 crore on sterilisation and vaccination drives for stray dogs. Despite this, around 81 people reach hospitals every day after dog bite incidents. The civic body also receives nearly 15 complaints daily related to stray dogs. Children and elderly residents account for the highest number of victims. Residents in several areas say it has become difficult for pedestrians and two-wheeler riders to move around safely at night because of aggressive packs of stray dogs. 810 ‘no-dog zones’ declared, but no dogs removed Following earlier Supreme Court directions last year, the Municipal Corporation identified 810 public places as “No-Dog Zones.” These included schools, colleges, hospitals, bus stands, railway stations and sports complexes. Authorities had claimed stray dogs would be removed from these locations. However, due to the absence of shelter homes, not a single dog has been relocated so far. Sterilisation centres operating with limited capacity The Municipal Corporation currently operates three Animal Birth Control (ABC) centres at Arwalia, Adampur Cantonment and Kajlikheda. Together, these centres can accommodate only about 600 dogs. Officials say 20 to 25 dogs are being sterilised and vaccinated daily at these facilities. However, these centres are meant only for sterilisation procedures, while the Supreme Court had directed authorities to establish permanent dog shelters — a step that is yet to be implemented. Civic body says land identified for shelter Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner Sanskriti Jain said land has already been identified for the proposed dog shelter. “Currently, sterilisation and vaccination work is being carried out through three Animal Birth Control centres,” she said.