Bhubaneswar: Under the Swachh Survekshan initiative, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) Monday launched a citywide stray dog vaccination drive to make the capital rabies-free.
Mayor Sulochana Das and Commissioner Chanchal Rana inaugurated the programme at the BMC headquarters in the presence of Deputy Mayor Manjulata Kanhar, Standing Committee Chairman Biranchi Narayan Mahasupakar, Additional Commissioner Ratnakar Sahoo and other officials.
A total of 15 teams have been deployed for the drive, which will cover all wards in phases, with each team completing one ward before moving to the next.
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The initiative was flagged off with vehicles carrying the vaccination teams. Rabies, a fatal disease spread through bites, scratches, or even licking by infected dogs, is being targeted under a three-phase strategy by the civic body.
The drive aligns with the national goal of eliminating rabies by 2030 under the National Rabies Control Programme. The drive is expected to be completed in 75 to 90 days.
Stray dogs will be safely captured, vaccinated and marked with non-toxic paint for identification before being released.
Real-time data will be tracked through a mobile application developed by Mission Rabies-WVS.
