Rajghat faces canine threat, says Delhi Police

NEW DELHI - Delhi Police will maintain a canine watch to control the stray dog menace in and around the Rajghat, the memorial to Mahatma Gandhi, where US President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle will lay a wreath on Monday, Delhi Police said.

A senior police officer told IANS: “We will be keeping a watch on the stray dogs in and around the Rajghat and will deploy dog catchers, as stray dogs are having a free run on the premises.”

According to police sources, policemen have been given strict instructions to tackle the menace as stray dogs had created problems during the recently-concluded Commonwealth Games in in the Games village and other areas, raising concern among participating countries.

When contacted, Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) spokesperson Deep Mathur said, “Already the Rajghat Samadhi Committee has approached us on various issues, out of which one is stray dog menace. We will be deploying a team of dog catchers in and around the area and try to catch as many as stary dogs.”

Obama will be visiting Rajghat Nov 8 and is expected to spend around 20 minutes there.

According to MCD sources, there are over 280,000 stray dogs in Delhi. The national capital reports 15-20 dog bites every day.