In a significant step toward making Bhopal a rabies-free city by 2030, the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) has proposed establishing six new Animal Birth Control (ABC) centres. This initiative seeks to address the rapidly growing stray dog population, which currently exceeds 1.2 lakh.
Currently, Bhopal operates three ABC centres, sterilising approximately 500 stray dogs weekly, or 24,000 annually. However, BMC officials have expressed concerns that this capacity falls short of what is required to control the surge in stray dog numbers, which could double within a year given the high reproduction rate.
BMC Chairman Kishan Suryavanshi emphasised the importance of expanding the city’s capacity, saying, “The current three ABC centres are inadequate to meet the needs of the city. To achieve our vision of making Bhopal the first rabies-free city in the state, we need additional centres.”
Addressing the Rabies Threat
The city is home to around 32,000 female stray dogs, each capable of giving birth to 8–10 puppies twice a year. Even if only half survive, the population continues to rise exponentially, posing public safety concerns and increasing the risk of rabies.
Proposal Submitted to Union Government
Ranveer Singh, Additional Commissioner of BMC, revealed that a proposal for six new ABC centres has been submitted to the Union government. Once approved, Bhopal will have a total of nine operational centres, significantly boosting sterilisation capacity. “Without the new centres, controlling the stray dog population and achieving the city’s rabies-free target by 2030 would be nearly impossible,” Singh said.
This proposal reflects BMC’s dual focus on public health and animal welfare, setting a strong foundation for Bhopal’s transformation into a safer, rabies-free city.
