Combating stray animal menace in Thoothukudi city

Stray animals on the streets of Thoothukudi city continue to be a major concern and has prompted calls for immediate action and a long-term strategy from the Corporation.

The situation persisits despite several measures being taken by Thoothukudi Corporation to control the stray dog and cattle menace. The rootcause of the problem lies in the fact that most of the bovines are not stray, but are domestic animals deliberately unleashed by their owners on the streets. In a bid ro tackle the issue, the Corporation implemented stringent measures last year, including imposition of a penalty of ₹5,000 on cattle owners who allow their animals to roam freely in the city in violation of civic regulations.

And to address the stray dog population in the city, the Corporation has been carrying out Animal Birth Control (ABC) measures at the ABC centre located in Tharuvaikulam dumping yard. Now that a new government is in place, the issue of stray animals has once again reared its head, with residents demanding that the civic authorities address the problem expeditiously.

Stray dogs at TMB Colony in Thoothukudi on Sunday.
| Photo Credit:
N. RAJESH

Raja, a resident of Muniyasmypuram, feels the stray dog population in the city has significantly increased over the past few months. “No one can predict in which direction the dogs may take off,” he says.

Packs of dogs can be seen in several residential areas of the city such as Levingipuram, which has one school and six anganwadi centres. “The increasing number of stray dogs roaming in the area has created an atmosphere of fear among the residents,” Mr. Raja adds.

Meanwhile, a resident from Rajiv Nagar, M.S. Muthu, who is also CPI(M) city secretary, points to the surge in the number of stray dogs in his area, causing severe inconvenience and hardship to students and general public. Many of the dogs can be found near educational institutions such as S.A.V Higher Secondary School and BMC School and pose a significant threat to students. Butcher shops in the city dump meat waste near Puckle Canal in Anna Nagar, which draws stray dogs to the area.

On the stray cattle menace, Mr. Muthu says a large number of cattle occupy the area behind the Corporation crematorium and pose a threat to motorists all day. Civic officials must take effective measures to address the issues.

Another visible concern is the presence of stray dogs in parks. The parks were developed to provide spaces for walking, recreation and leisure activities for residents and children. However, the increasing presence of stray animals in such spaces have become a matter of concern among park users.

Recently, Thoothukudi Corporation adopted the Thoothukudi Healthy Streets Policy and the Comprehensive Road and Street Design Guidelines. The move marks a significant milestone in the city’s efforts to institutionalise people-centric street planning and sustainable urban mobility.

One of the primary objectives of the policy is to improve walkability by creating continuous and universally accessible footpaths. However, concerns have been raised over walkability standards in the context of the existing stray dog problem.

Suresh (name changed), a resident of TMB Colony, takes nearly a one-km detour to reach home from his workplace. Je contends that many residents feed the stray dogs and cattle, encouraging the animals to remain in the same location.

He too feels that the Corporation must take effective measures to control the stray animal menace in the city.

According to Thoothukudi Mayor Jegan Periyasamy, the civic body is constructing shelters for stray dogs at Tharuvaikulam dumping yard and Muthaiahpuram, and construction of the facility has been completed in Tharuvaikulam. Non-governmental organisations have been invited to take care of the dogs, but none have come forward.

He says Roche park, Rajaji park and MGR park have been privatised on trial basis, and the contracting agencies will prevent such issues in the parks. The Corporation will take action to prevent stray dog menace in other parks and residential areas, if required.

Also the Corporation plans to deploy vehicles to collect waste from butcher shops across the city, which will help prevent the indiscriminate dumping of meat waste in open spaces. “Steps will also be taken to control the stray cattle menace and appropriate instructions will be issued to cattle owners,” the Mayor has said.