Last 6 months I have been aggressively pursuing the BMC for a plot of land to start a sterilisation centre in Mumbai, which is the need of the hour and according to them 5 lakh stray dogs. (without an authentic Senses) outcome of this whole exercise.........
* Umpteen trips to the BMC office in VT to meet with officials in power.
* A series of letters sent to them about various issues including a DETAILED PROPOSAL asking for a plot to start the ABC programme. ( not a single reply for any of the letters)
* A promise to discuss the issue of feeding stray animals and birds in the city in one of our sub-committee meetings and next thing you hear in the papers is that security forces are being deployed to prevent the same.
WHEN IS THIS DAMN THING GOING TO STOP..................!
I personally thing the BMC is doing a great job with a city which is overflowing with people at its seams.................... but what do corporaters and politicians know about ANIMAL WELFARE. Ask the people into it to come up with a suitable solution which are in sync with your policies. How does the BMC expect this humungous population of stray dogs and cats to survive when they lived off the waste on the streets which are now not accessible to them.
Firstly, thanks to the BMC their population has reached where it has and now you expect these strays to vanish from the face of the earth just because you have started (talking) an aggressive ABC programme... let me remind them that stray survive for 10 - 12 years and needs food, water and medical attention.
Secondly, when NGO's like us and like minded citizens are doing their civic duty of caring for those denpendent on them........................ how can the BMC interfere when it was their job in the first place and they did not do it.
Thirdly, I have sent them a list of guidelines (no reply from the as usual) which can be incorporated into their policy while feeding these animals in public places.
This time round I URGE EACH AND EVERY MUMBAIKAR to stand up for these strays against policies which are unethical and cannot be followed.
