Village panchayat heads asked to take effective steps to control street dogs population

The Hindu

30-05-2025

District Collector R. Sukumar has exhorted the heads of village panchayats to take effective steps to control the street dogs population in the areas under their jurisdiction as the dog bite incidents are on the rise.
In a meeting convened at the Collectorate on Thursday, he said more number of dog bite cases were being reported across the district as the stray dog population had increased manifold over the years. Hence, the village panchayat heads should take measures for controlling the stray dog population by performing animal birth control surgeries.
Moreover, the owners of pet animals, especially dogs, should be instructed to get license for their animals after properly vaccinating them.
Citing the recent accident in neighbouring Thoothukudi district in which a van plunged into a roadside open well, the Collector asked the panchayat heads to identify similar wells left in unprotected manner along the roads and also near the streets of their villages.
'If such wells are identified in your area, take immediate steps to erect fence around the wells or construct protective walls to ensure the safety of the public, especially the children,' Mr Sukumar said.
The Collector appealed to the panchayat presidents to check completely the sale of banned tobacco products or other narcotic substances in their villages, particularly near the educational institutions. Moreover, drug abuse awareness messages should be shared with the villagers in sustained manner.
The panchayat heads should ensure that there was no school dropouts in their area and follow the students from poor families to understand if they were pursing their higher studies in colleges after passing Plus Two public examination.
He also asked the village panchayat heads to clear the tax arrears through diligent collection of taxes payable to the rural local body.
Project Director of District Rural Development Agency Saravanan, Project Director of Mahalir Thittam Lakkuvan, Joint Director of Animal Husbandry Sankaranarayanan, Assistant Director of Village Panchayat Mohammed Shafi, District Child Protection Officer K. Arul Selvi and others participated.