Dr Umesh Kahalekar
The stray dog population is increasing in the urban areas at larger rate. Pune has more than 2 lakh dogs. The same case could be in almost all metros. On an average, a dog excretes between 250 to 300 grams of waste per day. One gram of dog waste contains about 23 million coliform bacteria, nearly twice the amount found in the human waste. This dog faeces and poo waste is directly linked with river water and groundwater contamination. It is necessary to understand the role of dogs in urban nitrogen deposition and their broader impacts on sustainable urban development and the environment. The levels of fertilization by dogs can potentially exert negative effects on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning of species-rich vegetation that are often pursued in forest and nature management. Dogs doing their business in the great outdoors can be connected to ecosystem damage and a loss of biodiversity through over-fertilization. Poo is a part of nature, but dog poo contains nutrients which can damage the ecology of vulnerable habitats.
Pet waste doesn't just decompose, it adds harmful bacteria and nutrients to local waters, when it's not disposed of properly. It might not seem like a storm water problem, but animal waste is one of the many sources of pollution that can add up to big problems for water quality, and even human health.
Considering the dog menace and effect of poo and faeces of stray dogs, the time has come to control the population of dogs. The Animal Welfare Board shall consider the aspects of inland surface water pollution, groundwater pollution and noise pollution due to dog barking and design the policy for stray dogs. Citizens staying in urban housing societies are suffering due to present policy of Animal Welfare Board for stray dogs. Please revise the policy and protect the health of citizens, especially those who want to live peacefully in compounded societies in healthy environment.
(The writer is retired professor of Government College of Engineering, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar)