Work on the Animal Birth Control (ABC) centre constructed by the Municipal Corporation of Dehradun is in its final stages with Union Minister for Women and Child Development and chairperson of the People For Animals (PFA) Maneka Gandhi slated to formally inaugurate the facility on August 20.
To take stock of the situation, the Dehradun Mayor, Vinod Chamoli, visited the ABC centre coming up along the Rispana river in Kedarpuram area under the defence colony municipal ward.
Accompanied by the Defence Colony municipal councilor, Sushil Kumar, the Mayor checked various aspects of the construction and issued necessary instructions to the officials concerned.
It is pertinent to mention here that hearing on a public interest litigation filed by PFA Uttarakhand member secretary Gauri Maulekhi seeking implementation of the provisions contained in the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2001 by the State Government, the Uttarakhand High Court in Nainital had on March 4, 2014 issued an order setting a time frame of six months for facilitating construction of veterinary clinics for sterilisation of stray dogs in all towns under the purview of municipal corporations, municipality and Nagar Panchayat in the State.
According to the decision and the law of the land, the local bodies concerned were given upto six months to construct ABC campus and ensure implementation of the ABC programme as per the standard operating procedure of the Animal Welfare Board of India. Subsequently, as per the Supreme Court directions of November 18, 2015 all urban local bodies were to complete construction of the ABC campus and establish basic facilities for sterilisation of stray dogs.
Initially various issues had hampered work on the ABC centre in Dehradun whereas now it is being seen as an example of the level of facilities needed for effective implementation of the ABC programme. Similar centres are also coming up in Nainital and Mussoorie among other locations in Uttarakhand.