Gurugram: The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram’s (MCG) newly launched helpline for reporting issues related to stray dogs, cattle and monkeys has come under fire from residents and animal rights activists, who have termed it an “eyewash” and alleged violations of the Animal Birth Control (ABC) rules.
The MCG launched the helpline (9821395178) on December 3, promising quicker response and on-ground action amid the rising concerns over inadequate sterilisation and vaccination drives for stray dogs, increasing monkey menace, and stray cattle frequently obstructing traffic across the city.
However, dog lovers and animal rights activists have raised concerns over the sterilisation and vaccination drives. Many shared that no one is responding on the helpline number. “We tried calling helpline numbers but there was no response,” said Sudhir Sachdeva, founder of Stand for Animals, a Gurugram-based NGO.
“The government has no facilities, the ABC centres have no electricity and water. Are they following the ABC rules when they talk about sterilisation and vaccination of our community dogs? This helpline number seems like a whitewash,” he added.
Neha Yadav, an animal welfare enthusiast, questioned the implementation of safety protocols. “Compliance with the rules is essential. Rule 16 mandates a two-member panel to assess aggression and rabies in dogs—are they actually following this?” she asked.
Meanwhile, MCG nodal officer Hariom said the new 24×7 helpline has been launched to ensure faster and more efficient responses from the civic body. “Immediate action will be taken once a complaint is registered, and a dedicated team will be dispatched to the spot,” he said.
He added that dogs found to be non-aggressive will be released back at the same location after inspection, while aggressive dogs will be shifted to the MCG’s animal shelters or Animal Birth Control (ABC) centres.
“The centre at Begumpur Khatola is ready, and Vedanta Resources Limited is expected to take charge next week. The Basai centre requires a little more time, but it too will be ready for handover soon,” he said. “However, the handover for vaccination and sterilisation work to Vedanta has been delayed and will be completed shortly,” he added.
The MCG has approved a two-year ABC and mass vaccination programme to regulate the stray dog population and curb rabies cases across the city. As reported by HT on November 29, the project—which commenced this November and will run until November 2027—has been awarded to the NGO Maa Baglamukhi Sewa Samiti, Jabalpur.
Hariom said that the contact numbers of the agencies involved will be shared publicly. “Residents can directly reach out to them to raise their concerns. If they are not satisfied with the response, they can escalate the matter to me,” he added.
Meanwhile, in sector 23A, residents and RWA members said an MCG team arrived to impound stray cattle, but local dairy owners confronted them and allegedly threatened residents for calling the civic body. “They even followed the MCG van carrying the seized cattle and warned us not to involve the authorities in the area,” said Bhawani Shankar Tripathi, a resident.
An MCG official said the matter will be examined and assured that necessary action will be taken.