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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Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
