HT Bureau
DIPHU, Nov 20: The Director of the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department, Government of Assam has instructed District Nodal Officers, Veterinary Officers and staff across 14 districts, including Karbi Anglong to implement the Anti-Rabies Vaccination (ARV) and Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme as per the Animal Birth Control Rules 2023. The programme will be conducted in association with local bodies and NGOs under the Rabies Control Programme.
A meeting on the ARV and ABC programmes was held at the conference hall of the District Veterinary Officer (DVO) Office in Diphu on Thursday. The meeting was chaired by Dipanjit Baruah, Under Secretary, KAAC and attended by Dr K K Das (DVO), Dr Hongbari Ingtipi, Sub-Divisional Veterinary Officer (SDVO), Dr David Bordoloi (District Nodal Officer, Rabies Control Programme), Dr Monica Tissopi, Veterinary Officers and representatives from the Diphu Municipal Board.
Related Posts:
The meeting began with an overview of the Supreme Court directive (Writ Petition (Civil) No 5 dated 07/11/2025), which mandates the removal of stray dogs from public institutional premises, including schools, hospitals and bus stations, alongside vaccination and sterilisation. Dr Monica Tissopi presented the current status of ARV and ABC initiatives, highlighting activities across all 14 wards under the Diphu Municipal Board.
Key decisions include involving all Town Committees in ward-level awareness camps, identifying stray dogs and constructing a dog pound at the earliest with funding provided by the Diphu Municipal Board. A proposal for a comprehensive household census to count dogs was also approved. Vaccinated dogs will be marked with colored bands, collars or stickers to distinguish them from unvaccinated or stray animals.
The meeting emphasised that the ABC programme will prioritise neutering and spaying of stray dogs. Operational challenges were discussed, including inconsistent availability of medicines and equipment. Participants suggested procuring tranquillizer guns and other handling tools with formal requisitions to be submitted to the Municipal Board.
Awareness campaigns will be conducted in schools and at the community level, involving the Veterinary Department, Medical Department, Social Welfare Department and District Administration. The Municipal Board will also display banners and distribute leaflets on rabies prevention, stray dog management and responsible pet ownership across all wards. Awareness camps are set to begin next week.
The meeting concluded with an emphasis on inter-departmental coordination, community participation, transparency and timely action to meet the targets set by the Supreme Court .Attendees included Diphu Municipal Board officials, engineers, veterinary officers and representatives from KAAC.
