Control stray dog menace in Rasipuram Municipality, demand residents

Residents of Rasipuram Municipality and Andagaloor Gate have demanded that the municipal administration control the stray dog menace, which poses a threat for elderly persons and children.

Rasipuram Municipality, the oldest municipality in the district, is situated 30 km away from Namakkal and has more than 60,000 people residing in it. From Rasipuram, the Andagaloor Gate is situated at an 8-km distance. Residents claimed that the public, especially motorists, are threatened by stray dogs roaming on the road.

S. Vishnu, a resident of Rasipuram, said that people used to go for morning walks on the Government Higher Secondary School ground at Anna Salai, near the Taluk office. However, stray dogs on the ground pose a threat to the locals by chasing them. Similarly, at night, on the one-way road from Periyasamy Kadai to the Old Bus Stand, people coming from the theatre in the locality are chased by the dogs.

In some incidents, stray dogs crossing the road suddenly, while two-wheelers were passing, have become the cause of accidents. Mr. Vishnu noted that there is no animal birth control (ABC) centre in the municipality. “Six months ago, stray dogs in and around Rasipuram were captured and taken in a vehicle sent by Namakkal Corporation. Yet, the menace continues,” he added.

M. Sudhakar, a resident of Goundampalayam near Andagaloor Gate, said that people from Rasipuram need to reach the Andagaloor Gate, on the Salem-Namakkal National Highway, to board omni buses while travelling to Madurai, Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, and Thoothukudi. “Even then, stray dogs continue to chase two-wheeler riders in the night,” he added, urging the district administration to take steps to fix the concern.

When contacted, Rasipuram Municipality Commissioner S. Gopinath said that sterilisation was performed on 500 dogs who were later vaccinated. Additionally, 40 dogs have been identified for sterilisation. Through an ABC centre, situated 10 km away from the municipality, four to six dogs will be sterilised and vaccinated every week. The Commissioner also said that land was identified for constructing an ABC centre at the municipality, and a proposal was sent to the government. The required works will commence after receiving administrative sanction, he added.