Chennai: With the increase in the number of stray dogs and people complaining daily of dog bites, the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) is planning to open two more Animal Birth Control (ABC) centres to reduce the number of strays and make the city rabies-free.
The ABC centres, coming up at Meenambakkam and Sholignallur, are supported by Tamil Nadu Urban Finance and Infrastructure Development Corporation (TUFIDCO). The new ABC centre at Meenambakkam will have 14 rooms while the one coming up at Sholingnallur will have 10 rooms. There will be a veterinary room, dog kennels and operation theatre for dogs at each ABC centre.
Sources in the GCC told IANS that the staff would be appointed in the two new centres under the National Urban Livelihood Movement (NULM) and veterinarians would be posted, on a contract basis, for a period of one year at a salary of Rs 40,000 per month.
Presently, the civic body hase three ABC centres at Lloyd’s Colony, Kannamapet, and Pullianthope.
Talking to IANS, Chennai social worker Gopalakrishna Manikantan said: “The government and corporation must take steps to open more such ABC centres as the dogs multiplying in the city will lead to more dog bites and the possibility of rabies increasing in the city. We demand the city corporation open more ABC centres as five is not enough for a growing city like Chennai.”
–IANS