Ahmedabad nears 90 pc stray dog sterilisation under rabies control programme
Ahmedabad, June 2
The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation's Cattle Nuisance Control Department has reported that the city has achieved around 89 per cent sterilisation coverage of stray dogs under its Animal Birth Control programme, alongside large-scale anti-rabies vaccination, microchipping, and a newly launched scientific dog census aimed at supporting the "Zero by 2030" rabies elimination goal.
In an interview with IANS, CNCD Head of Department Naresh Rajput outlined the city's integrated approach combining sterilisation, vaccination and digital tracking systems, stating that Ahmedabad has "reached 19,535 pet dog registrations" compared to other cities where figures remain quite low.
He also noted that while other cities have been conducting registration drives for several years, they have not crossed beyond 500-1,000 registrations in comparable contexts, whereas Ahmedabad has significantly expanded its coverage under AMC-led enforcement and awareness campaigns.
Rajput explained that AMC has implemented RFID microchipping in both dogs and cattle, calling it "one kind of Aadhaar for cattle," and extending the same system to stray dogs to maintain life-cycle data.
According to him, the microchip contains sterilisation and vaccination history, allowing officials to track when annual rabies vaccinations are due and maintain continuity of medical records.
He said, "If we vaccinate a dog, how will we know when the next dose is due? The microchip stores all data like the Aadhaar or PAN number. Each chip carries a 12-digit identification number readable through scanners, allowing AMC teams to retrieve complete treatment history, including sterilisation and vaccination dates."
Rajput confirmed that AMC has procured 15,000 microchips this year at a cost of approximately Rs 50.53 lakh, with procurement conducted through tendering.
"The chips are sourced through authorised Indian distributors of a France-based company, and certified by ICAR-related animal research certification bodies ensuring safety and non-harmful implantation," he told IANS.
The sterilisation and vaccination programme, which began in 2019-20, has reached 7,571 anti-rabies vaccinations this year alone, up to May 31, alongside continued sterilisation operations.
AMC data confirmed that over the past seven years, approximately 1,88,828 stray dogs have been sterilised at a total expenditure of about Rs 18.11 crore, with coverage exceeding 80 per cent across the city.
A 2019 stray dog estimate placed Ahmedabad's stray population at around 2.10 lakh.
Officials note that sterilisation has contributed to a visible decline in puppy numbers in residential areas, with observations that earlier groups of six to seven dogs in localities have reduced to two or three.
The Behrampura ward has been fully completed as part of the scientific census programme launched in April 2026. The ward recorded 4,906 stray dogs, including 3,019 sterilised males and 1,467 sterilised females, along with 224 unsterilised males, 105 unsterilised females, 63 puppies, 23 lactating females and five dogs marked as unknown due to inability to capture or identify them during field operations.
Rajput said, "We have started a scientific census across all 48 wards using an app-based system with geo-tagging and live monitoring."
The survey includes categorisation of dogs as sterilised, unsterilised, puppies, lactating females, pregnant females, and sick or injured animals.
He added that "unsterilised dogs identified through the app are immediately flagged for capture and sterilisation".
The AMC has also begun large-scale dog census operations across 48 wards under the National Action Plan for Rabies Elimination (NAPRE-2030).
The exercise includes GPS-tagged photography, ward-wise mapping and real-time database integration. Officials confirmed to IANS that the census is expected to be completed in phases, with full reporting anticipated by March 2027.
The programme also includes identification of feeding spots, dog bite case management, infrastructure expansion, and capacity building.
Rajput confirmed that the city is simultaneously running awareness campaigns in schools, colleges, health institutions, sports complexes, bus depots and railway stations as part of IEC (Information, Education and Communication) initiatives.
AMC data shows that approximately 1,050 institutions across these categories have already been covered under sterilisation, vaccination and awareness outreach programmes.
The department has also expanded microchipping coverage, with 5,390 dogs already tagged across different zones, including Central, North, South, East, West, North-West and South-West zones.
Officials stated that Ahmedabad continues to manage a stray dog population estimated at around two lakh, while balancing sterilisation drives with vaccination cycles that require repeated annual dosing over a typical dog lifespan of 12-15 years.
— IANS
Reader Comments
As someone who feeds stray dogs in my locality, I'm cautiously optimistic. Sterilisation is important, but I hope they're also ensuring proper aftercare for the dogs. The 15,000 microchips at Rs 50 lakh seems a bit expensive though - are these imported ones really necessary when local alternatives might work? Still, kudos to AMC for the transparency in reporting numbers.
Interesting approach. In the US, we rely more on shelter-based solutions, but India's context is different with such large stray populations. The 1.88 lakh sterilised over 7 years at Rs 18 crore is actually quite cost-effective. The scientific census with geo-tagging sounds like something we could learn from for our own urban wildlife management.
Lived in Ahmedabad for 10 years - the change is visible. Earlier my street had packs of 7-8 dogs constantly fighting and barking at night. Now it's down to 2-3 calm ones. The awareness campaigns in schools are also making a difference - kids now know not to provoke dogs. But we still need to address the dog bite reporting system. Good start, more work needed. 🇮🇳
Impressive numbers but I have questions. What happens to the unsterilised dogs identified during the census? The article mentions 'immediate capture' - is that done humanely? Also, the 2026 census target for Behrampura showing 4,906 dogs - that's a lot for one ward. Are they ensuring enough shelter space post-surgery? The 'zero by 2030' goal is ambitious but needs ethical implementation.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.