Hyderabad: Meat shops, hotels on GHMC radar

Hyderabad: Meat and chicken shops, hotels, restaurants, function halls and other establishments are now under the scanner of the GHMC (Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation), as the corporation will be taking stringent action against such establishments if they dispose waste and leftovers including non-veg on streets, public places. The GHMC will ensure proper disposal practices to avoid gathering of street dogs in the hunt of food. This decision was taken following the recent dog attack incidents in the city.

It has been observed that the meat shop owners throw the waste on roads and corners leading to the gathering of dogs to have the waste of meat and chicken. Shaik Sohail a septuagenarian said, "Animal behavior is said to be changed when they eat raw meat. And it is observed that most of the shop owners feed the waste to the dogs and by eating raw non-veg their behavior changes leading to attack on humans, especially kids," he added.

When any customer visits the shop, these dogs bark at them and the shop owners have to deal with the situation. "Feeding dogs has to be stopped by these non-veg stores and they have to dispose waste as per the practice adopted by the civic body," addedSohail.

According to GHMC, to curb dog menace, the municipal administration made necessary arrangements to enhance the current capacity of conducting Animal Birth Control (ABC) measures to achieve 100 per cent sterilisation of street dogs. "The tendency of certain trades such non-veg shops, function halls and hostels to not throw non-vegetarian food in raw form. If one is found, stringent action would be taken against them. They were directed not to dispose garbage, waste, and leftovers on the streets or any public places," said an officer at GHMC. Moreover, a sanitation staff including the outsourcing staff would be trained to deal with street dogs and follow the appropriate protocol. The instructions issued include setting up billboards/hoardings at suitable locations highlighting the appropriate behavior towards and around street dogs.

The civic body will also distribute the pamphlets in both government and private schools detailing the 'Do's' and 'Don'ts' of behavior around street dogs. To alleviate the aggression of street dogs during the summer, an adequate number of water bowls will be arranged in suitable locations, preferably away from places of greater public movement.Officials were directed to take up a programme in next one monthin all schools to educate children about the appropriate behaviour protocols while dealing with stray dogs. The officer said that though some good Samaritans and NGOs feed the street animals inducing dogs and cats, they purchase non-veg and boil it before feeding them. Even this has to be stopped.