After multiple cases of dog bites leading to a few deaths in Kerala, the stray dog menace caught the attention of the Supreme Court. Hearing a batch of petitions on the issue, the Supreme Court on Friday urged the state government to find a solution. A Supreme Court bench comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and JK Maheshwari also said the court is open to hearing suggestions on the matter. An interim order will be announced on September 30.
Following the court’s orders, the Kerala government held a meeting of state officials on Monday in Thiruvananthapuram to evaluate the situation. The outcome of the meeting will be notified to the Supreme Court.
Meanwhile, an NGO, Better Kochi Response Group (BKRG), has come up with an out-of-the-box solution to get rid of the menace of stray dogs. It has proposed a plan to catch the dogs in and around the city of Kochi and put them on an uninhabited island, where they can be sheltered and looked after.
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One of the uninhabited islands identified is Deepu Sagar Island. According to the officials, shelters can be constructed on the island and water arrangements should be done through underwater pipes.
The NGO also suggested that food dispensing areas, cleaning arrangements and small space for a vet to examine dogs are to be made. The organisation suggested catching female dogs first and testing them for infections or rabies before sheltering them on the island.
The NGO further said that the island will eventually have both female and male dogs, who will be completely sterilised. Since stray dogs normally have a lifespan of 10 to 12 years, the problem can be solved within a decade or less.
Kerala has around 3 lakh stray dogs and the state government is carrying out sterilization to control the menace. According to Manorama Online, seven people have lost their lives due to dog bites in the last four months since May.
(Edited by : Sudarsanan Mani)
