Omar Abdullah government takes major step to tackle stray dog menace in Jammu and Kashmir
The Jammu and Kashmir administration has initiated a comprehensive rollout of the Animal Birth Control (ABC) program across the entire union territory to address the growing menace of stray dogs. With an estimated stray dog population of around 1.53 lakh, the government aims to manage the numbers humanely while ensuring public safety against rabies and dog bites.
Chief Secretary Atal Dullu recently chaired a high-level review meeting to oversee the implementation of these measures, which are aligned with the directives of the Supreme Court. The administration has significantly ramped up sterilization and vaccination drives over the past six months, laying the groundwork for a broader district-level execution.
Expanding infrastructure across districts
Previously, the ABC centers were largely confined to Jammu and Srinagar cities. However, the new phase of the project extends the reach to 13 districts where land has already been identified for setting up new facilities. Currently, centers are operational at Bhagwati Nagar, Roop Nagar, SPCA Chowadi, Tengpora, and Suhama, with another coming up at Chatterhama.
The government plans to establish 20 new ABC centers and deploy dedicated mobile units to cover remote and rural pockets effectively, ensuring that sterilization and vaccination reach every corner of the region.
Progress and digital monitoring
So far, 68,346 stray dogs have been sterilized, and 80,725 have been vaccinated against rabies across J&K. The updated framework also incorporates digital surveillance to monitor dog populations and the designation of specific feeding spots to minimize public conflicts in residential zones.
