Dogged by strays, GCC readying 2 more ABC centres in city

CHENNAI: With an increase in dogs population in the city, and to make Chennai a rabies-free city, the civic body authorities are constructing two more animal birth control (ABC) centres in Meenambakkam and Sholinganallur, funded by Tamil Nadu Urban Finance and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (TUFIDCO).

At present, the city has three ABC centres — in Pulianthope, Kannamapet, and Lloyd’s Colony — to control the population of stray dogs. The construction of the new centres is nearing completion at Meenambakkam and Sholinganallur, which will have 14 and 10 rooms respectively. The facilities include a veterinary room, dog kennels, and an operation theatre.

For the functioning of the two new centres, it is necessary to engage the necessary contract veterinarians and staff under the National Urban Livelihood Movement (NULM). The staff are instructed to stock up on medical equipment, dog food, etc at the facility.

The department concerned will install CCTV cameras at both centres for surveillance. As the ABC centres require two vets, specialists have been appointed on a contract basis for a year. The doctors will be paid Rs 40,000 per person and the contract will be renewed after a year.

The approximate cost of procurement of surgical instruments, operation theatre requirements and drugs for surgical work is Rs 27 lakh. Expenditure on the purchase of dog food amounts to Rs 16,92,000 per year.