Govt to introduce microchips to identify animal

Ananya Panda

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 16

The Delhi government is mulling introducing micro-chipping of companion/farm and stray animals in the national capital to facilitate their identification and ascertaining their owners.

With this, violators of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, Section 11 (i) can no longer get away with letting loose cattle or other animals for grazing or abandoning them on streets of the national capital.

There are 10 dairy colonies here and owners generally leave cattle on streets to fend for themselves once they become unproductive. If things move as per plans of the AAP government and the department, animal-friendly measures will be included in the government’s recently-notified Animal Health and Welfare Policy, 2018.

“Animals would be injected a chip that will enable their identification,” Special Commissioner Kuldeep Singh Gangar, Development Department,  said.

It would serve like an Aadhar card for animals in which a microchip which would be subcutaneously injected into the animals will have an automatic reader carrying details of the owner.

Gangar said alone the provision may not act as a deterrent and the basic thrust is to involve people in animal welfare and once the ownership comes from community the objective of synergy between all stakeholders that the government is looking at will automatically follow.

Making the services in Government Veterinary Hospital, Zorawar Singh Marg, 24x7, launched on Wednesday by Development Minister Gopal Rai, is the first step after the policy notification, he said.

24x7 animal healthcare 

The Development Minister  today inaugurated 24×7 Animal Healthcare Services in the Government Veterinary Hospital at Zorawar Singh Marg, Tis Hajari, here. The Animal Husbandry Department has launched helpline number 011-23967555 for animal healthcare assistance