Who starved the dogs out?

NEW DELHI: They have no panchayati aspirations, but they still have to fit the population norms. This time the directive comes from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and it is aimed at the city’s stray dogs.
‘Don’t feed them’ says the MCD which hopes that thus, with a lean and hungry look, they will skulk away to other localities. Finding no succour there either, they will simply fade away.Good bye local Kalu, Tilu and Sonu, we don’t love you any more.
"The number of stray dogs is directly proportional to the amount of food made available to them by colony residents," said Dr S S Srivastava, head of MCD’s veterinary department.
Added one of his officials, "People tend to offload the waste from their kitchens on to these community strays. Deprived of these regular meals, they will go away, and soon, their numbers will automatically come down." No messy murders, no dragging them away, yelping, to the pound.
So, on a dog day afternoon, you might find your local MCD man going the whole hog to convince you that not salvation, but rabies is likely to be gained from feeding these carriers of disease.
The Corporation is already asking residents’ welfare associations not to give Kalu his daily dal-roti, and starve the cur out instead."We are trying to make people aware of their duty, if they want to free this city of stray dogs," said an official solemnly.
This move has been initiated by MCD commissioner Rakesh Mehta, who has even formed a non-governmental body to check the stray dog menace.MCD’s estimates suggest that there are about one lakh stray dogs in the city.
We’d like to believe this is all very humane. After all, isn’t the MCD and the NDMC also telling residents not to request local authorities to kill or forcibly drag away these canines? Said a veterinary officer, "Indiscriminate killing of dogs doesn’t reduce numbers, because mongrels from adjoining areas fill the vacant territory."
Instead of giving them chapatis, give them an anti-rabies shot, exhorts the MCD."These dogs can be taken to the eight centres where they can be immunised free-of cost."
According to the World Health Organisation, vaccinating more than 75 per cent of dogs breaks the transmission cycle of rabies. Reducing their physical numbers as well means we will not have to worry about either their bark or their bite.