Tipper tales: BBMP autos deliver pawsitive lessons – Bangalore Mirror

To promote compassion for street animals among Bengalureans and to educate them about animal welfare rules by the Animal Husbandry Department, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has come up with a standout awareness campaign.

Starting Monday, thousands of BBMP’s auto rickshaw tippers, used for the door-to-door garbage collection system in the city, are doing so by announcing the basic dos and don’ts of animal welfare and BBMP’s helpline number too.

“More than 2,000 tipper trucks are making these announcements while they collect garbage from houses. We have taken this step after receiving many feeder harassment cases and clashes between feeders and residents. Through these messages, we are also requesting feeders to be mindful of other residents in the area and coordinate with them so they do not feel threatened. Street animals are part of our ecosystem, and we must be considerate about their welfare,” said Suralkar Vikas Kishore, Special Commissioner (Health), BBMP.

Out of the fleet of 4,646 tipper autos, more than 2,000 are already playing this message. According to BBMP officials, old autos without the announcement system facility are being asked to keep a Bluetooth-enabled speaker for relaying the message. “BBMP is the first local body across the country to start such a campaign. In a city like Bengaluru, garbage vans have the highest daily reach among citizens. Hence, we pitched for utilising this announcement system; this is another step in our endeavour to create awareness amongst citizens on the need for compassion and coexistence with urban animals and birds,” said Sadhana Hegde, founder of Sahavarthin Animal Welfare Trust, the NGO that is assisting the palike in spreading awareness.

Dog rescue services
Officials informed BM that BBMP has put together an action plan to start a street dog rescue service soon. “Currently, we are assisting in rescues through our vehicles. However, now we are proposing BBMP’s dedicated rescue centre. It will be operated by a third party that will be paid based on the number of animals rescued per day. We are working on the expression of interest and will float a tender soon. It is within the legal mandate of the palike,” informed Kishore.

However, some city-based animal welfare workers believe that BBMP is a municipality and that the main function of a municipality is public amenities and health. Therefore, the focus should be on reducing the street dog population and preventing the spread of rabies, which also includes neutering dogs that have survived canine distemper, a topic overlooked until now. “Health and welfare are a bit different from each other. Rescue is a compassionate thought, but it will dilute the focus on birth control and vaccination.