New Delhi, July 31 – In 2023, the national capital has reported a total of 49 rabies cases, as per official data from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). During the first half of the year, from January to June, there were 35,198 incidents of animal bites recorded. The rabies cases were documented at the MVID Hospital within the same timeframe.

To combat these issues, the MCD administered an equal number of anti-rabies vaccines (ARV) corresponding to the reported bite incidents. In a proactive measure to control the stray dog population and curb the spread of rabies, the MCD successfully sterilised and vaccinated 65,031 stray dogs between January 25 and June 25, 2023.

Looking ahead, the MCD has set a target to sterilise and vaccinate 97,994 dogs from April 2024 to December 2025. This initiative follows previous efforts where 79,959 dogs were sterilised in 2023-2024 and 59,076 in 2022-2023, indicating a steady increase in the city’s efforts to manage stray dogs.

Officials have emphasized the importance of enhancing the efficiency and capacity of the sterilisation network, particularly in response to rising public concerns regarding stray dog attacks across the city. In a strategic move, the MCD’s standing committee established a subcommittee earlier this month dedicated to stray dog management. The subcommittee convened for its inaugural meeting on Thursday, where it resolved to re-engage with NGOs involved in the sterilisation programme and to recruit additional capable organisations.

An intensive month-long sterilisation drive is also in the planning stages, according to officials. Concurrently, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta convened a separate meeting focused on the issue of stray animals. She urged officials to approach the matter as a social responsibility rather than merely an administrative task, advocating for a comprehensive and humane strategy to address the crisis.

The Chief Minister instructed that consultations be held with animal lovers, experts, and social organisations, ensuring their suggestions are integrated into the policy-making process, as noted in a post from the Chief Minister’s Office on X.

These initiatives are being implemented in response to increasing public anxiety over frequent dog bite incidents in the capital. Currently, there are 20 operational sterilisation centres in Delhi, managed by registered NGOs. These centres perform surgical sterilisation and administer anti-rabies vaccinations before returning the animals to their original locations, in accordance with the Animal Birth Control (ABC) guidelines.