Bhubaneswar: The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) will conduct a canine census across the city from the second week of September officials announced on Thursday.
The ten-day drive will be carried out to count both stray and pet dogs in the city. The exercise would be held in the morning hours the quiet atmosphere would ensure smooth counting.
BMC Commissioner Chanchal Rana said the census will involve Swachh Sathis, sanitation workers, and BMC officials. All those associated with the drive would be given special training before the commencement of the census operation.
The dog counting will be carried out simultaneously in all wards on the advice of veterinary experts. For each ward, three to four officials will be deployed, and the entire process is expected to be completed within seven to ten days.
The census will help determine the actual number of dogs in Bhubaneswar and their distribution across different areas.
As per conservative estimates, Bhubaneswar is stated to have 40,000 to 45,000 dogs. The upcoming drive will provide accurate figures, officials said.
