NMC seeks manpower to manage stray animals

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nashik/NMC-seeks-manpower-to-manage-stray-animals/articleshow/15651893.cms

NASHIK: The civic body has invited tenders for impounding stray animals and transporting them to the NMC's kondwada (animal pound) which was constructed to house the city's strays. A fortnight ago, corporators of prabhag 26 in Bhadrakali, Sufi Jin ( NCP) and Sameena Memon (Congress) had visited the area alongwith municipal commissioner Sanjay Khandare over the issue. The commissioner assured the corporators that he would look into the matter.

"In the Bhadrakali kondwada, a family has now made its home. The place was constructed for stray animals but is now lying abandoned. while citizens face problems due to stray animals blocking busy streets. Ganjamal road is always full of strays. There is also a danger of the animals may being hit by vehicles," said Jin. "Our attempt is to make the kondwada functional and consequently make things easy for people and the animals as well," Jin added.

NMC standing committee chairman Uddhav Nimse, had said that the NMC does not have the manpower or machinery to transport the animals. "Moreover, the responsibility does not end at just transporting stray animals, we have to also feed them," he said. On further probing Nimse added that no budgetary provision had been made for this.

A senior engineer at the civic body's public works department said that the kondawada was constructed by the municipal council and was operational till the early 1990s. The anti-encroachment departmentcaught and transported the animals while the divisional offices took care of the captured strays. An official said that due to lack of manpower, this exercise was stopped.
The official said that after appointing the contractor once the bid process is complete the next step of feeding the animals would also be sorted out.

Trichy corporation mulls ban on animal-rearing

TRICHY: The Tiruchirappalli corporation's latest craze is to catch stray cows that, in the absence of tender shoots in the county, poke their noses into corporation dust bins. This menace not only hinders traffic, but spreads health hazards, the corporation was told at an emergency meeting on Tuesday.

Corporation commissioner V P Dhandapani told the council that he had ordered a survey of stray cows in infested areas and if possible, to effect a complete ban them on them within city limits. While a member, M Mohammed Musafa, wanted the corporation to punish even those who habitually fed stray cows because it was they who encouraged health hazards, the commissioner assured the house that he was in favour of banning all domestic animals within the corporation limits and appealed to members in the House to cooperate with him. Mustafa also told the council that it was a practice with some people to feed cows with Chappati packed with jaggery.

The corporation has always been on the back foot when it came to fighting the menace of stray animals, particularly cows. In September last year, the corporation, in an attempt to fix responsibility on owners of cattle, fined them Rs 500 for letting loose their cattle on road. Special teams comprising corporation's veterinary doctors, sanitary inspectors, fire brigade personnel, forest officials, local police sub-inspectors and members of NGOs started a drive to clean the city streets of stray bovines but the effort was shortlived.

Today, the commissioner said he was contemplating auctioning stray animals after capturing them. He said a total ban on rearing any domestic animals, pets or otherwise, within the corporation limits was very much feasible with the cooperation of the members of the House. "If you are ready to cooperate, I will implement the government order, which is very supportive," he told the council.

A corporation official who did not want to be named said it all started with the act of feeding cows with Agathi Keerai, a leafy backyard vegetable, in order to seek "divine favours". The religious practice is slowly catching up with Trichiites, and hence herds of cows are unleashed by their owners onto the streets. The most affected areas are century-old Gandhi Market vicinity and places like Srirangam, K K Nagar, and Puthoor Junction Road. Earlier, the corporation's effort to enact a bylaw in 2006 to contain this problem through a specific legislation could not come to fruition.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/madurai/Trichy-corporation-mulls-ban-on-animal-rearing/articleshow/15301094.cms

Varanasi has history of sensitivity towards animals

VARANASI: The old dwellers of the holy city were very sensitive towards animals, specially cow and ox. Traces of co-existence of human beings and animals can be found in old parts of the city. The earthen and cemented, traditional water tanks kept at a number of crossroads, tea stalls, temples and other eating joints were prepared by natives of the city exclusively for the stray animals and cattle like cow, ox, monkeys, dogs and birds.

However these traditional tanks, which once quenched the thirst of stray animals, are now either broken or being used as dustbins in Old City areas.

Surendra Barman, a shopkeeper at Malviya Market, showing one such water tank-turned-dustbin said: "Since the handpumps are drying up, the tanks are also lying without water. Hardly anyone has time to refill these tanks on a regular basis, so people who are not aware about it often mistake them for dust bins."

According to Saichan, a fruit seller in Suraiyya area of Bulanala, "very recently, a thief took away an years old water tank which was built by the shopkeepers of the area. Since the area is crowded with cattle, we installed a water tank some eight years ago, but it has been missing for the past one week," he said.

According to Pammi, businessmen of saris in Chowk area, 'pukka' (cemented) water tanks called 'hauda' were kept in front of every house as per the traditions of the city. "In fact, most of the houses were constructed with a permanent 'hauda' outside the house, near the main door. Animals like monkeys, cows and oxes, who ventured out freely in the gullies and roads of the city, used to come and drink water from the haudas," he informed.

According to additional municipal commissioner Sachidanand Singh, years ago some cemented water tanks were also constructed by the Varanasi Nagar Nigam (VNN). However, no action was taken by the VNN to preserve or construct more drinking water tanks for stray animals.

Some shopkeepers and residents in the Old City areas and posh residential areas have taken the onus upon themselves to provide drinking water facility to stray animals of the city and revise the traditional system.

While the traditional haudas fixed or kept adjacent to a tap or handpump can be easily seen in Lohatiya, Sankatha Gullie, Ram Ghat, Thathery Bazaar, Sonarpura, Pandey Haveli, Ramapura, Luxa and many parts of Old City, a number of new style earthen pots, bowls and containers can be seen near the community water taps in many areas and outside the houses in posh colonies like Sigra and Gurudham.

"Since we were taught to serve animals since early childhood days, so we keep these earthen bowls of water in front of our house so that any animal or bird can get relief from the rising temperature," said Shyam Shankar Agrawal, a businessman.

"The tanks at most of the water taps and handpumps are missing. Residents of our area have contributed and kept two-three earthen bowls near the community taps. Whenever the water in the bowls gets finished, it is refilled by anyone who notices it first," informed Deen Dayal, a local of Ram Ghat.

Stray cattle may soon have a new address

Varanasi: It seems that controlling the menace of stray animals and managing them is beyond the capabilities of the Varanasi Nagar Nigam (VNN). Perhaps mainly due to this reason, the VNN is planning to take help of a private 'gaushala' to shelter the old cows and oxes that are caught during the special drives of the VNN.

According to additional municipal commissioner Sachidanand Singh, a first phase meeting with the owners of the gaushala has already been conducted. "Soon things will finalise and we will shift the cattle from Kanji House at Nakkhi Ghat to the gaushala at Rameshwar.

It may be mentioned here that VNN has a Kanji House at Nakkhi Ghat where stray cattle which are catched are kept, and whenever an owner of the turns up, cattle is given back to him after giving a fixed amount of fine.

"Most of the owners for cows turn up but the hybrid oxes lie useless at the Kanji House. It is not appropriate to let them loose because they can be smuggled. The VNN was having difficulty in looking after them, so this decision had to be taken," informed Singh.

It is noteworthy that, with the two animal catchers installed to catch stray animals, the VNN is able to catch three-four animals on a daily basis. "Most of the animals caught are cows and dogs. The stray dogs are left outside city area, specially in village areas. We do not catch monkeys because they come under the forest department," said Singh.

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-05-16/varanasi/31725904_1_water-tanks-stray-animals-water-taps

Drive to catch stray animals ineffective

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/varanasi/Drive-to-catch-stray-animals-ineffective/articleshow/9782248.cms
 
VARANASI: The Varanasi Nagar Nigam usually launches drives to catch the stray animals, especially pigs, ahead of Eid every year. This year again, the VNN officials have claimed that such a drive has been launched. However, the Varanasi Nagar Nigam is surprisingly clueless about the population of stray pigs as well as number of their owners living in the city areas.

According to city health officer of VNN, S K Singh, the drive to catch the stray pigs has been launched mainly in the areas near mosques and prayer assemblies. However, when questioned, he had no idea about how many animals have been caught so far. The ignorance is worrying as the VNN is supposed to maintain a record of pigs and their owners. The exercise ensures that none of the owners were leaving their animals on roads during the festivities.

Further, Singh admitted, there was not any fixed place to keep the stray pigs after catching them on the roads. ''Whenever pigs are caught and nobody turns up to claim them, the animals are released in villages or jungles on the city outskirts. On the other hand, if the owner turns up to make a claim, the pigs are returned to them, after providing guidelines for future and on paying a fine of Rs 500 per animal,'' said S K Singh.

Moreover, despite claims of a drive, a number of stray animals can be seen on the roads in localities like Nirala Nagar and Madhopur (situated just behind the VNN office). Besides, stray animals can be seen in Beniya Park, Pandeypur and Ravindrapuri area, lying in mud and rain water. The VNN has reportedly employed only one catcher for the drive. This indicates an apathy to health concerns of the citizens.

My take

The article highlights only one aspect of the menace created by pig owners. These pigs are owned by particular local communities. They are left to fend for themselves from the garbage. There are many cruel practices followed by these pig owners. One of which is, the young male pig’s testicles are chopped without giving them anesthesia or medical care. Most of the times sharp edge of broken glass is used for this procedure. The pig squeals in pain but there is no remorse on the owner’s face. In fact they seem to get pleasure out of this torture. It has been observed that the young boys from the community are given this job. One can imagine the adverse effect this practice has on the mind of these young boys too. This nuisance is created by pig owners but the innocent pigs are always at the receiving end.