‘VVIP ward’ in SoBo has the fewest street dogs, Malad the most, RTI query reveals

MUMBAI: Malad, Malwani and Bangur Nagar in P-North ward have the most (7,451) stray dogs, as of March 2015. The fewest (581) were in the ‘VVIP’ D ward, which includes Malabar Hill, Pedder Road and Kotachiwadi, and is where the chief minister, governor and municipal commissioner reside. Activists have questioned the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s “preferential treatment” to some localities during its drive to keep the city’s stray canine population in check.
Activist Chetan Kothari had sought ward-wise details about strays and dog bite cases since 2004, through an RTI query.
The reply stated that between January 2004 and March 2015, Mumbai recorded 7.5 lakh dog bites and 50 deaths due to rabies. Since 2004, the most people to have died due to rabies is 13 in 2005. This year, till March, one person has died.
P-North ward is closely followed by K-East ward, with 5,540 dogs. The ward includes Saki Naka, Sahar, Jogeshwari and MIDC.
South Mumbai, in comparison, has less than half the number strays than those found in the suburbs. D ward, which has the fewest strays, is followed by C ward, which includes Marine Drive, Kalbadevi and Zaveri Bazar, at 669.
Indrani Malkani, trustee of the citizens’ group Together VCAN and resident of Little Gibbs Road in D ward, said that there are bins all over the ward. “It has nothing to do being a VVIP ward, but it’s the concerted efforts of the civic authorities and the residents’ positive involvement.”
Kothari said another reason for more strays in the suburbs could be large slum pockets. “Stray dogs eat whatever is available. Several slum pockets overflow with garbage, which attracts them. At D ward, there’s regular cleaning, more so because the rich and influential have their homes there.”
Activist Shyama Kulkarni, an AGNI (Action for good Governance and Networking in India) trustee, said, “I am shocked that there are very few stray dogs in areas such as D ward. Does it mean they are being picked up? Such a vast difference in numbers is surprising. There has got to be something beyond sterilization or cleanliness here.”
Dr Padmaja Keskar, executive health officer, BMC, said they were doing their job in all areas.
“From our side, we pick up dogs for sterilization and after that they are left in the same area. As far as the difference in numbers is concerned I would need to check about it,” she said.