Karti Chidambaram. File photo
| Photo Credit: The Hindu

Congress Member of Parliament (MP) Karti P. Chidambaram criticised the Greater Chennai Corporation for failing to address the growing street dog population, the numbers, which, he claimed had surpassed 1,80,000. He also claimed that only 27% of the stray dogs had been sterilised, raising health and safety concerns.

In a letter to Mayor R.Priya, a copy shared by him on X dated March 18, Mr.Chidambaram stated, “In the 2022-23 budget, the Tamil Nadu government allocated ₹20 crore for animal welfare programs, but there has been little observable improvement. The recent budget [for FY 2025-26] once again allocated the same amount for the ABC [Animal Birth Control] program, but without effective local implementation, it is unlikely that any tangible progress will be made.”

The Congress MP claimed that the number of street dogs in Chennai had gone up from 58,000 in 2018 to 181,347 in September 2024, quoting a survey by the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC).

He said, “…Despite funding in past and recent TN Budget, the abysmal failure to act by the Corporation has led to a surge in attacks. Immediate, decisive action is crucial—prioritise sterilisation, target high-density areas, and enforce accountability without delay.”

He cited factors such as government negligence, lack of support from animal welfare organisations, and insufficient public awareness as contributing reasons.

He raised concerns about low sterilisation rates, inconsistent implementation across wards, and breeding issues. He said,”There is considerable variation in sterilisation coverage across Chennai’s 200 wards, with some areas reporting as low as 2% sterilization, while others achieve up to 73%. This disparity highlights the failure of the Chennai Corporation to implement a consistent and effective approach.”

He stated that zones with lower sterilisation rates showed higher dog-related complaints.

Corporation Commissioner J. Kumaragurubaran said regarding Animal Birth control centres on the X platform on Wednesday (March 19, 2025) “Five centres are functional now. Work in progress for 10 new centres. GCC is taking steps to augment the capacity of existing centres also. In three to four months all these new centres will be made operational.”