The Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) has announced a new plan to manage the growing stray dog population in the city. The civic body plans to build a special shelter and sterilisation facility under the Majiwada flyover at the cost of INR 7.69 crore.
The proposal will be placed before the General Body Meeting on March 18 for final approval. Once approved, the project will move forward. The initiative comes after directions from the Supreme Court of India to relocate stray dogs to designated shelters after proper sterilisation and vaccination.
The facility will be built behind the Majiwada Traffic Police Chowki. It will include temporary shelters for dogs, an outpatient treatment centre, and a sterilisation unit. The centre will focus on sterilisation and medical care for stray dogs in the city.
The project was earlier planned for Bhayandarpada. However, it had to be relocated due to problems in acquiring land. Later, it was decided to shift the project to Majiwada. Municipal Commissioner Saurabh Rao is overseeing the project. As per sources, the design of the facility is based on animal care projects that have been successfully implemented in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.
Data from the civic body shows that the number of stray dogs in Thane is between 40,000 and 50,000. Around 50 per cent of these dogs have already been sterilised. Officials have now set a target of achieving 80 to 85 per cent sterilisation within the next three years.
Concerns over stray dogs have increased after a recent attack in the Thane region. A two-year-old girl was severely injured on Friday, March 6. According to the Mumbai Police, the girl was walking with another girl when a stray dog suddenly attacked her from behind. The dog continued to attack after she fell to the ground.
The child was taken to a nearby hospital and is currently receiving treatment for her injuries. They said this was not the only incident and that such cases have been reported earlier as well.
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