Putting pets in a spot to avoid mess

When Sharad Garg takes his dogs out for a walk in his gated colony in Munirka Enclave in south Delhi, he carries a newspaper with him. Whenever his pets defecate, he scoops up the mess and carries it to one of the colony’s composting pits. Even those who don’t do the job themselves contribute to a fund that pays a sweeper to keep the colony’s lanes and park clean of dog faeces.
"If dog owners can’t clean the poop themselves, they can certainly adopt other means to ensure their colonies and the city stay clean," said Garg. "While a few owners pick up after the dog immediately, the sweeper ensures that it ends up in the composting pits. It is good for everyone."
As in Munirka Enclave, residential areas elsewhere in the capital are all gearing up to deal with the toilet habits of pet dogs. It is after all a matter of cleanliness and health.
In Delhi Apartments in Dwarka Sector 22, there is now an unofficial rule enjoining pet owners to get rid of any faeces their dogs may deposit on the premises. In addition, the RWA has approached the Delhi Development Authority for a designated area for dogs. "There are some vacant spaces where we have proposed that DDA build a sandpit for pet owners to take their pets to. Such spots can ensure the society stays clean," said Sudha Sinha, RWA president.
Getting dog owners to be more responsible, however, is not an easy task and other colonies have tried imposing fines on them. The Beta-I community in Greater Noida decided it would fine errant owners up to Rs 20,000, but the proposal met with criticism. "We tried to make a change, but faced resistance from dog owners," said Devendra Tiger, RWA president. "While civic authorities should try to control the stray dog population, we now plan to demarcate an area where pet dogs can be taken for defecation."
This plan of designated defecation areas works well, as the AWHO Society nearby has learnt. In the three phases of the colony, eight such spots have been provided. "Owners now know where they can take their pets, and they have been using these conscientiously," reported Colonel Ram Chauhan, vice-president of the RWA there. "Each colony can have one such area in the park."
Many pet owners, however, believe the change needs to come from within, instead of it being imposed through rules. "People need to be conscious and should try to clean the mess," said Gayatri Singh, a dog owner in Kailash Colony in south Delhi. "Countless dog owners pick up dog poop at Lodhi Garden, but I haven’t seen a single person do it in my locality."