Bhubaneswar: The dog sterilisation drive being conducted by the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) in the city has been crawling at a snail's pace. The civic body launched an Animal Birth Control (ABC) campaign this May in collaboration with the Hyderabad-based Vets’ Society for Animal Welfare and Rural Development (VSAWRD). The aim was to sterilise 2,000 stray dogs every month. However, the actual progress has been far from the target, with only 400 to 500 dogs sterilised monthly. In the past three months, just 1,456 dogs have undergone the procedure.

Although no official dog census has been conducted, earlier estimates suggest that nearly 70,000 stray dogs roam across Bhubaneswar. Under a three-year contract, VSAWRD has been tasked with completing the sterilisation of all stray dogs within this period. For each sterilisation, the organisation receives ₹1,650, which includes ₹200 towards transportation and the rest for surgery, food, medicines, and post-operative care for five days.

The sterilisation surgeries are carried out at the Mancheswar ABC centre, which can house up to 350 dogs at a time. The facility has the capacity to operate on 70 dogs daily. A monitoring mechanism is also in place, involving a nodal veterinary officer, the project-in-charge, and a five-member committee comprising BMC officials, animal welfare representatives, and veterinary experts.

Despite these arrangements, progress remains sluggish. The concerned officials attributed the delay mainly to the monsoon season, citing difficulties in catching dogs and the risk of post-surgery infections. As a result, only 30 to 40 dogs are being operated on daily. Sterilisation has been completed in Wards 25, 27, and 51, while officials say the pace of operations will pick up once the rains are over.

With the Supreme Court directing authorities to address the stray dog problem across the country, the slow progress of the sterilisation drive in Bhubaneswar is raising questions about its effectiveness.