Nagpur: Questions are being raised over whether the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) is tackling the city’s stray dog problem responsibly—or subjecting the animals to silent cruelty. Citizens and activists allege that behind the civic body’s intensified dog-catching operations lies a disturbing reality of neglect and inhumane treatment.
The crackdown began after repeated dog-bite incidents triggered public outrage and the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court criticized the civic body’s slow response. But once the dogs are caught, their fate appears grim. Reports suggest the captured animals are left without adequate food, water, or medical attention inside overcrowded kennels, where many are said to die painfully.
“Dogs are starving and left to die of thirst. NMC is using cruelty as a method of control,” alleged an animal rights activist.
Residents from Dharampeth, Manewada, and Jaripatka claimed that most dogs never return to their original localities. Instead, officials reportedly release them in unfamiliar neighborhoods, where they often face fatal territorial fights with existing packs. “Dumping dogs into unknown areas is not only cruel but also dangerous,” said a Manewada resident.
Animal welfare groups point out that these actions violate the Animal Birth Control (Dogs) Rules, 2001 and Supreme Court directives, which emphasize sterilization and vaccination as the only lawful methods of population management. Activists argue that NMC has neglected these core measures while relying on quick fixes that neither protect citizens nor the animals.
Senior NMC officials, however, insist that their teams are working within the prescribed rules. Yet, the absence of transparency—no public record of how many dogs are caught, sterilized, released, or dead—continues to fuel suspicion.
“The real issue isn’t stray dogs, it’s the failure of authorities,” said an activist. “Sterilization and vaccination are the solutions, but instead NMC chooses displacement and torture.”
Experts further warn that such practices create a “vacuum effect,” where new, unvaccinated strays enter the area, heightening the risk of bites and rabies. This leaves both animals and citizens unsafe despite NMC’s claims of action.
With the controversy intensifying, activists are preparing to approach the High Court once again, seeking accountability from the civic body. Until then, hundreds of dogs picked up each week may continue to face starvation, thirst, or violent deaths in alien territories—all in the name of civic management.
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