BMC gets nod to sterilise stray cats in Mumbai, allocates Rs 1 crore for the project

An agency is yet to be appointed for the task by BMC (Representative Image)  |  Photo Credit: BCCL

Mumbai: The Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) has given its approval to Mumbai's civic body, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to sterilise stray cats in the city under the Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme. In July of last year, the civic body had asked the AWBI permission to sterilise stray cats under the programme which already covers stray dogs.

Following the approval, BMC has invited an expression of interest (EOI) to appoint an agency which will be tasked with sterilising stray cats. Reports by sections of the media suggest that the sterilisation programme for cats will begin by April 1 of this year. 

It is also worth mentioning that BMC currently has no data of the stray cat population in Mumbai. While the civic body conducts a dog census every five years, it has never conducted a feline census as of yet. The national daily also reported that India's richest civic body has made a provision of Rs 1 crore for the project. As per the programme, the civic body will spend Rs 600 male cat and Rs 800 per female cat on sterilisation if the procedure is done on municipality land with equipments owned by the civic body. However, if the agency uses its own clinics and equipment, the rate of sterilisation for each cat will go up to Rs 800 per male and Rs 1,000 per female.

Maharashtra government's animal husbandry department is conducting an animal census which is likely to be completed in the next two months, project supervisor Dr Yogesh Shetye told Indian Express. The census will give us an idea about the stray cat population in Mumbai, he added.

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