Letters to the Editor: Sterilization of street dogs in Guwahati

It is a common sight to spot street dogs in Guwahati. Every nook and corner of our city is filled with street dogs. Over the years, the population of street dogs has spiked immensely, and with that, the cases of animal cruelty and dog bites. What might be the reason behind the rise in population? We are familiar with the concept of vaccination, but half of our population seems unaware of "Sterilization". Vaccination is the only proven way to prevent rabies outbreaks; similarly, sterilization is the only way to control the population of street dogs.

The term 'sterilization' refers to removing an animal's reproductive organs, making them unable to produce offspring. Spaying refers to sterilizing a female animal by removing her ovaries. Castration refers to the surgery which removes the testicles of a male animal. Neutering is a synonym for sterilization, referring to the removal of both a male and female dog's reproductive organs.

Sterilization is the most effective way to solve the problem of the overpopulation of street dogs. Many street dogs roaming a city increase dog bite cases and zoonotic disease transmission and deteriorate living conditions for these very street residents.

According to GMC, around one lakh stray dogs reside on Guwahati's streets. That is indeed an alarming number and reflects the shortcomings of our animal welfare systems. The Animal Birth Control (Dog) Rule, 2001, is framed by the Central Government and must be rightly followed and implemented by the local authority to control the population of street dogs. These rules consist of 'classification of dogs and their sterilization', which classifies dogs as pet and street dogs. This rule marks that "street dogs shall be sterilized and immunized by the participation of animal welfare organizations and private individuals and the local authority". We, as citizens, are highly responsible for the welfare of our society. Then why do we complain about dog bites but do not want to fix the root of the cause voluntarily? GMC and other NGOs relentlessly work to feed, vaccinate, sterilize and aid street dogs. What more is required is "Awareness"! Awareness about "how to deal with these homeless animals", by educating the public about vaccination, sterilization, illegal breeding, and animal cruelty is extremely important. Our constitutional duty under Article 51A (g) urges us to have compassion for all living beings, not just humans. It's high time we exercised it.

Kristi Talukdar,

Cotton University, Guwahati

The worst disaster

Last Monday's earthquake that hit Turkey was one of the country's worst disasters in decades. The size and scope of the seismic activity make it roughly the equivalent of the 1999 earthquake that devastated the country, killing more than 17,000 people. It is all the more sorrowful that the additional aftershocks, including one almost as strong as the initial quake, made the situation even more calamitous. A leading geologist from the US has said that the Turkey region is at a three-way meeting between faults, called the Anatolian fault zone area, where the African, Anatolian and Arabian tectonic plates come together, which increases the risk for devastating earthquakes. Rubbing salt to the wound, Turkey is also a densely populated area, which increases the danger of destruction and loss of life. Around 90 per cent of earthquakes occur underwater. Therefore, being able to predict the quakes would help avoid large-scale devastation. While the magnitude of an earthquake that lasts a few seconds can be measured, the volume of catastrophic damage it leaves behind is immeasurable and beyond time.

Ranganathan Sivakumar,

Chennai.