Bosky Khanna By

Express News Service

BENGALURU: Pet owners in the city may soon have to keep a watch on, and collect the faeces of their pets littered in public places. One of the points in the solid waste management by-laws draft, prepared by Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), speaks about managing the mess created by pets.

Once the draft is cleared by the state government, owners will no longer be allowed to let their dogs excrete on footpaths and in parks, and will, instead, have to clean up behind them. BBMP is planning to impose a strict fine in order to ensure the implementation of the rule. The civic agency is also thinking of making some roads and parks dog-free, so that cleanliness is maintained.

These suggestions have, however, created a rift among pet lovers. While some call it a good idea, others say it is the job of the civic workers to keep the city clean.

BBMP Joint Commissioner of Solid Waste Management and Health, Sarfaraz Khan, told CE that normally pourakarmikas clean the roads every morning, which also includes dogs’ waste. “But people should be responsible. At present, BBMP is educating citizens with the help of volunteers and the idea is to maintain cleanliness,” he said.

Khan admitted that stray dogs also pose a problem. But if pet owners help out, then things can improve, he added. “Many take walks on TenderSure roads, but it is not justified that while one person gets to enjoy the well-paved footpath with a pet, other walkers have to check their footsteps. Faecal matter of animals is such an eyesore,” he said.

BBMP aims to follow the lines of France and Mumbai, where some roads are marked pet-free, and pet owners walking their dogs have to clean up the mess. However, officials are also worried of the consequences. The agency had earlier proposed a policy that pets can only be kept if owners have sufficient space in their apartment. However, it had to withdraw the move due to pressure from pet lovers.

Several animal activists welcome the new proposal.

Priya Chetty- Rajagopal, CXO search consultant and founder of CJ Memorial Trust for Animal Welfare, said, “If BBMP is asking pet parents to take care, it is not wrong. It was also suggested to penalise pet owners littering Cubbon Park, but it did not materialise. Queens Park is a ‘No-Dog zone’, because people do yoga there. If some other places are also made no-pet zones, that is also acceptable.”

However, Sudha J, a pet owner, said when dogs are taken out, the roads are already dirty. “BBMP cannot expect citizens to touch the roads. Since the corporation is unable to clean the roads, they want to pass the buck on to the citizens,” she said.