Over 1.03 lakh stray dogs sterilised, 2,500 monkeys caught in last 2 years: MCD

New Delhi, Jul 26 (PTI) The Municipal Corporation of Delhi sterilised more than 1.03 lakh stray dogs in the last 18 months, spending Rs 16.30 crore in the drive, a civic body official has said.

The civic body has also caught 2,501 monkeys in the last two years and handed them over to the wildlife sanctuary, forest department of the Delhi government, he said.

Each private monkey catcher, hired for the purpose, was paid Rs 1,800 per monkey, he said.

A total of 24,545 stray cattle were caught by the MCD in the last two years and sent to cow shelters, he said.

The issue was raised by BJP councillor Yogesh Verma in the last MCD House meeting held in June, seeking the list of measures taken by the corporation to control the stray animal menace. According to the official, a proposal to engage an agency to carry out a survey to ascertain the total number of stray dogs in Delhi is under consideration.

At present, under the MCD, there are 20 sterilisation centres for dogs which are operated through NGOs and private veterinary doctors in accordance with the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules.

Sixteen of these centres are managed by 11 NGOs and four private veterinary doctors.

The highest number of dog sterilisation took place in March with 10,123 instances, the official said.

"A total number of 1,03,221 stray dogs were sterilised in the last 18 months and a total cost of Rs 16,30,82,619 was incurred on sterilisation of stray dogs during the period from October 22 to March 2024," according to the data he shared.

"From December 2022 to May 2022, 20,501 monkey have been caught and handed over to the wildlife sanctuary," it read.

No langoor owners were hired by the civic body to drive away the monkeys, the official said.

He said that the MCD has deployed 20 vehicles and 122 employees to catch stray animals.

Of Delhi's five cow shelters, four are currently functional -- Manav Sadan, Rewla Khanpur; Dabat Hare Krishna Gaushala, Surhera; Gopal Gosadan, Harevali; and Shri Krishna Gaushala, Sultanpur Dabas.

These four cow shelters were paid Rs 1.48 crore, Rs 3.97 crore, Rs 5.16 crore, and Rs 4.17 crore, respectively, in feeding charges in the last two years, according to data.

Till March, 3,509 licensed dairies were operational under the jurisdiction of MCD, the official said.

The work of lifting dead buffaloes and cows from MCD areas and their scientific disposal is carried out by the lessee of Gazipur slaughterhouse at a plant in the area.

From April 2023 to March this year, 15,244 cows were found dead in cow shelters, according to the data. PTI SJJ SJJ VN VN VN