Bengaluru plans major overhaul to address rising stray dog incidents
BENGALURU :The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is preparing a comprehensive plan to regulate the city's street dog population. BBMP will implement through sterilisation, vaccination and feeding activities, according to a detailed report published in The Hindu.
According to Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) figures, the city had 13,831 dog bite incidents in the first half of 2024, compared to 26,532 in all of 2023. While Officials attribute the rise to improved reporting, animal welfare groups point to loopholes in sterilization efforts as a major cause of ongoing instances.
A BBMP survey shows that the city’s stray dog population has declined from 3.1 lakh in 2019 to 2.79 lakh in 2023 due to ongoing Animal Birth Control (ABC) programmes. Sterilisation rates have dropped this year after the suspension of multiple NGOs involved in the process, limited infrastructure and new guidelines mandating a seven-day post-surgery care period.
The BBMP allocated ₹60 crore for 2025-26 to extend ABC projects, implement microchipping and improve vaccination campaigns. It also intends to create veterinary facilities in all eight zones, enlist veterinary graduates in sterilization initiatives and use ring vaccination procedures to combat rabies.
The plan includes a ₹3.23 crore microchipping scheme to track sterilization and vaccination, avoiding duplication of efforts. While some activists have raised health concerns about microchipping, the BBMP cites successful pilot programs as proof of its safety.
The civic body is also scheduled to spend ₹2.88 crore on structured feeding programmes to reduce aggression among hungry strays. Complementing this is a citywide “Each One, Feed One” campaign aimed at encouraging responsible community feeding.
Experts warn that transparency in execution will determine the plan’s success. “Implementation is key to building trust and ensuring safety without cruelty,” said paediatrician and activist Hemant Kumar.
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41 lakh illicit liquor seized, 1.84 lakh arrested in major drive: K'taka Minister tells Assembly
Belagavi (Karnataka) (PTI): The Karnataka Excise Department has conducted a statewide crackdown on illegal liquor trade over the last two years, resulting in arrests and seizures of alcohol, Karnataka Excise Minister R B Timmapur said on Tuesday.
As many as 1,09,017 people were arrested, and seizures included 13.66 lakh litres of liquor and 27.19 lakh litres of beer, he said in a written reply to a starred question by Harihar BJP MLA B P Harish in the Karnataka Assembly.
The Minister said the enforcement drive covered the financial year 2023–24, 2024–25 up to June, and 2025–26 from July to October, targeting unauthorised liquor manufacture, storage, sale and transportation across the State.
"During this period, statewide enforcement drives resulted in a total of 1,84,570 raids against illegal liquor sales,” Timmapur said.
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He noted that 9,179 non-bailable cases and 91,968 bailable and compoundable cases under Section 15(A) of the Karnataka Excise Act, 1965, were registered during the same period.
According to him, there have been no reports indicating that students have become addicted to alcohol due to illegal liquor sales.
The sale of alcohol to minors is strictly prohibited under the Karnataka Excise Act, 1965, and the department has issued periodic instructions to initiate legal action against violators, with strict enforcement and investigation measures in place, the Minister said.
Excise officials are carrying out regular road and night patrols, collecting intelligence, monitoring habitual offenders and conducting raids to identify illicit distillation units, unauthorised liquor outlets and spurious liquor manufacturing centres, he said, adding the department is also enforcing the law to prevent the production, storage, sale and transport of spurious, non-duty-paid and unauthorised liquor.
Regular patrols are being conducted on national and state highways, with suspicious vehicles being subjected to checks.
At the district level, standing committee meetings are held under the chairmanship of Deputy Commissioners, and joint operations are carried out with the police and forest departments to curb excise-related offences.
The department is also conducting awareness programmes through Gram Sabhas and in schools and colleges to educate the public and students about the physical, mental and social health hazards associated with alcohol addiction and substance abuse, Timmapur added.
