The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has taken a special initiative with the aim of creating public awareness for rabies vaccination and prevention among the citizens. For this, an LED vehicle has been prepared with video tapes giving awareness messages and through this vehicle awareness will be spread throughout Mumbai. Through this vehicle, the civic body intends to create public awareness in all the administrative departments of the BMC.
Various activities are being implemented under the guidance of Additional Municipal Commissioner Dr Ashwini Joshi, Deputy Commissioner Chanda Jadhav as per the order of Municipal Commissioner and Administrator Bhushan Gagrani to prevent the transmission of rabies from animals to humans.
It is against this background that awareness activities have been undertaken. Public awareness is an important step towards achieving the goal of a rabies-free Mumbai. A mass vaccination program is being implemented from 28 September 2024 to vaccinate stray dogs in Mumbai in collaboration with the organisation 'Mission Rabies' on behalf of the BMC. This program will continue till March 2025. Dr. Kalimpasha Pathan, General Manager of the Veterinary Health Department informed that more than 25 thousand stray dogs have been vaccinated so far with the help of animal lovers organizations appointed by the Municipal Corporation.
Meanwhile, an LED screen based vehicle has been prepared with the aim of creating awareness among the citizens. This will cover the dangers of rabies, importance of vaccination, responsible pet ownership and promotion of animal welfare, encouraging citizen participation in rabies prevention and control measures. Pathan also mentioned that more attention will be focused on densely populated areas.