Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has unveiled a fresh multi-stage plan to tackle the city’s ever-growing street dog crisis — a problem that now sparks fear as much as it does compassion. With the stray population crossing 1.10 lakh, two-wheeler riders, parents, and schoolchildren remain the most vulnerable, even as animal lovers press for humane solutions.
At the heart of the programme is an unusual awareness campaign targeting schoolchildren. Officials admit many children, out of fear, end up teasing, stoning, or running from dogs — only to trigger more aggression. To break this cycle, NMC will conduct sensitisation sessions in schools, teaching students how to behave around strays and the crucial steps to follow in case of a dog bite.
But awareness alone will not soothe the public’s anxieties. To strengthen its plan, NMC has rolled out helplines, promising rapid response through ASHA workers and health staff. Victims will be monitored at home while the offending dog is captured and kept under 10-day medical observation. Parallelly, sterilisation and rabies vaccination drives — which have so far covered 42,000 and 75,000 dogs respectively — will be expanded further.
Perhaps the most controversial move is the decision to create fixed “feeding zones” for dogs in every zone. Civic officials argue this will prevent clashes between animal feeders and angry residents, though critics fear it will not stop packs from roaming dark lanes at night.
Dog lovers like Adv. Sanjiv Kapoor have welcomed the initiative as “a positive step,” but daily commuters like Malcolm Bhangara and Mangal Singh remain skeptical. For many citizens, the question lingers: will NMC’s promises finally curb the menace, or just dress up an old problem with new words?
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