Sustainable management of stray animals a far cry in Kanchanpur

Sustainable management of stray animals has become a far cry in the municipalities of Kanchanpur despite spending of millions of rupees.

With the stray animals moving rampantly on the highway, road accidents are frequently occurring.

After complaints of farmers from Bedkot to Bhimdutta municipality about the damage caused by unaccounted animals to the crops, an all-side meeting was recently held in the district coordination committee on resolving the issue.

As informed, municipalities including Bhimdutta, Bedkot, Shuklaphanta and Krishnapur have spent millions of rupees for the management of stay animals in the last five-and-a-half years.

The responsibility of managing stray animals has been entrusted to the deputy mayor or vice-chairperson in the municipalities of Kanchnapur.

Bedkot Mayor Bhojraj Bohora said the municipality was preparing to construct a ward-level kanji house for stray animals. “The unaccounted animals are being temporarily managed now in the area nearby the municipality “, he said, adding, “The municipality has so far spent Rs 5.5 lakh for stray animal management since we came to the municipality leadership for the second tenure”.

Kanji house is being constructed in eight out of 10 wards, he informed. Around 2-3 million budget is estimated to be spent for the construction of kanji house and other management works, he said.

So far the Bedkot municipality has expended over Rs 10 million for the management of stray animals.

Likewise, Bhimdutta municipality has so far spent Rs 9.1 million budget for the same. The municipality has formed a taskforce to study about the management of unaccounted animals.

In the earlier tenure, the municipality had framed necessary laws and constructed physical infrastructure for stray cattle management.

Similarly, Shuklaphanta municipality has been managing stray animals in the Bindraban community forest at ward-9. The municipality has spent Rs 4 million of the management of animals including caretaker and feeding. The municipality has developed a work procedure to manage the stray animals.

Krishnapur municipality mayor Hemraj Ojha said Krishnapur and Laljhandi are collaborating for the management of stray animals. “Around 1,100 stray animals are being managed in kanji houses in the municipalities”, he shared, adding approximately Rs 1 million was spent for the task after he assumed the office as a mayor.

A case related to the management of stray animals in Kanchanpur had reached the court four years ago. The High Court Mahendranagar bench had issued a mandamus order for the management of stray animals.