MC efforts to control stray dog population ineffective, says audit

An audit conducted by the Indian Audit and Accounts Department has revealed that the efforts made by the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation to control the population of stray dogs have proved to be ineffective.

As per the audit conducted for the period from 2022 to 2024, the MC has signed an agreement with the Compassion for Animal Welfare Association (CAWA) on June 24, 2022, to implement the Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme for stray dogs in the city.

According to the agreement, the contractor is required to sterilise a minimum of 150 dogs per month. Clause 6 of the agreement specifies the following key responsibilities for the contractor: The priority should be given to female dog sterilisation. The contractor must ensure that at least two-thirds (66.7%) of the dogs sterilized are female, while one-third (33.3%) are male.. Secondly, the contractor is also required to sterilise at least 90% of the stray dog population in a selected block before moving on to the next block.

The reports says that a review of the MC records for 2023-24 revealed that the estimated stray dog population in Chandigarh was 9,503. Considering the population of stray dogs, the target of sterilising 150 dogs per month appears insufficient for effective population control.

Additionally, between June 2022 and August 2024, the actual ratio of sterilisation — 53% female (4,957) and 47% male (4,423) — did not meet the prescribed 2:3 ratio, showing that the contractor did not prioritise female dog sterilisation as required.

Moreover, the MC reported the sterilisation of approximately 16,001 dogs from 2020 to 2024, including 5,654 dogs between August 2023 and August 2024. The figure needs to be looked into as it is disproportionately high compared to the recorded stray dog population in 2019 (11,056) and 2023 (9,503).

Furthermore, it was unclear from the records whether the contractor followed the block-based sterilisation approach. Instead, it appeared that dogs were randomly picked up from various sectors, which violates the terms of the agreement.

The random and uncoordinated approach indicates the lack of effective planning in controlling the stray dog population. The reports says had the MCC strictly adhered to the agreement, especially by prioritising female dog sterilisation and following a block-by-block approach, the results might have been more effective.

Alternatively, if the focus had been solely on sterilising either female or male dogs, the outcomes could have been more impactful. The issue has been brought to the department’s attention for further review and clarification.

On being asked on the ineffectiveness of the exercise, the corporation replied that the sterilisation process reduced the rate of reproduction. The existing female to male population ratio is more or less 50:50. As of now, very few dogs have been left to be sterilisation and the dogs are picked up whenever found unsterilised.

The audit, however, says the reply is not tenable because the corporation did not act as per the provisions mentioned above.