Municipal Corporation fails to handle stray animal nuisance in city

STATE TIMES NEWS

JAMMU: Despite making tall claims to achieve many objectives to make Jammu a model city, the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) was miserably failed in dealing with the growing problem of stray animals being faced by Jammuites. There is no doubt in saying that the JMC has failed to formulate any plan to check and control the movement of stray animals in Jammu City which is the clear violation of Municipal Act.
Under this Act, any animal straying without permission is required to be shifted by the employees of Corporation to a cattle pound.
According to reports, earlier there were two cattle pounds to keep the stray animals in Jammu but instead of increasing these pounds with rise in population of these animals, surprisingly, the JMC authorities allegedly reduced the number to one.
Talking to STATE TIMES, people informed that the stray animals were used to be released to their owners after compounding the cases but now the undue pressure allegedly from self-styled animal sympathising organisations has compelled the Corporation neither to compound the cases nor allowing them to be sold to those who wanted to buy them at cheaper rates as compared to their prices in open market.
Also, absence of availability of designated places for keeping these animals has also posed the risk of health and environmental hazards. Moreover, this practice has not only affected the revenue of JMC but more men and machinery has to be engaged for maintenance of stray animals, which are also getting injured when the only cattle pound gets overcrowded.
The general public of Jammu urged Commissioner Avny Lawasa, IAS, who is known for her bold and effective working, to look into the matter and took initiative so that the problem can be minimised to larger extent.