Trichy: As the lone Animal Birth Control Centre (ABC) in the city is found to be falling short of requirements, the civic body started the works to set up another one to address the menace of growing canine population, at Konakkarai, near Karur bypass road, here, on Sunday.It was learnt that the lack of infrastructure to sterilise stray dogs in the ABC centre was aiding the growth of canine population in the city. Going by official figures, the city has as 13 kennels presently carrying out the ABC procedures in the lone dog shelter, which is hardly enough to even cover 50 per cent dog population spread over the city.At least 10,000 canines are identified as stray dogs in the 65 wards of the corporation classified under four zones. The Urban Local Body (ULB), in August 2017, had entrusted Animal Welfare and Rural Development Trust (AWARD) to catch and sterilize at least 1,300 stray dogs during 2017-2018.However, numbers revealed that only 496 dogs were caught and sterilised within city limits within that period, raising questions from the general public on the effectiveness of the programme.Complaints also poured in from various quarters, with many pointing to the high presence of street dogs despite having an ABC in place for sterlisation.The delay in sterilising stray dogs was mainly due to the present infrastructure unfit to house and neuter the stray animals. Local residents said that fewer number of kennels, with which only 150 dogs could be sterilised in a month, has literally pulled back the canine neutering."Total number of kennels required to monitor the neutered stray dog's health is a mismatch for the number of stray dogs. Inadequate number of kennels had been affecting the pace of entire birth control process," a source involved in ABC programme told TOI.The civic body has identified land near Konakkarai crematorium falling within ward number 57, apparently to overcome the constraint. "Instead of RCC structure, we have planned to go with a shelter like facility with ceiling made of galvanised roofs, so that the construction works would conclude at the earliest," a corporation official said.The foundation works for the second ABC centre in Konakkarai was taken up by the civic body recently and official sources said that the facility can be accomplished within March 2018.Official source added that each kennel would be eight foot long and eight foot wide to accommodate more than a dog per kennel if needed. This iexpected to reduce the dog population ki n the city.

Stay updated with all the Latest Trichy headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.