Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation gets new iron tongs

It seems the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) does not bother about the ban imposed by the Government of India on use of iron tongs to catch dogs.

After, the civic body filed a police complaint alleging that Canadian citizen and animal activist Lisa Warden took away tongs from its cattle nuisance control department (CNCD), the AMC has apparently gone back to its old method of catching canines. It has also apparently got a brand new set of tongs.

An alert DNA reader from Satellite informed this newspaper on Thursday that the CNCD van had come to their area to catch dogs.

Requesting anonymity, she said, "We were shocked to see CNCD dog catchers using iron tongs again. We thought after the whole controversy the department would mend its ways and desist from using such cruel methods to catch dogs."

When DNA contacted in-charge officer at CNCD Ganji Chaudhary, he neither denied nor confirmed the AMC's move to get new set of iron tongs.

However, officials, at the CNCD office confirmed that they have got new set of iron tongs which are locked in a room there.

"We have to continue catching dogs as and when we get complaints. None of our staff members know how to catch dogs using nets and it will take some time for us to train them in the use of nets," said Chaudhary. He said hence they don't have any other option but to use tongs to catch dogs. "Meanwhile, the AMC has bought around 25 nets," he said.

"We will soon start training our staff in use of nets to catch dogs. We have made an initial purchase of 25 nets at a cost of Rs 900 each," said Chaudhary.