TEAM HERALD
MARGAO: Stray dog menace has hit Salcete coastal belt in a big way, with the beach belt no more playing host to the shacks and the strays finding it hard to find food along the beach belt.
Right from Cavelossim to Carmona, Colva and Betalbatim, there’s been complaints galore over stray dogs on the prowl in residential areas, creating a scare amongst the villagers. Locals believe that the stray dogs have intruded in the residential areas in search of food with the shack business shut down and visitors coming only in trickles on the beach during the monsoon.
Left with few options and with no mechanism at its disposal to tackle the menace, a couple of panchayats have roped in Mission Rabies to tide over the situation and give relief to the residents.
If the village panchayat of Carmona roped in Mission Rabies to tackle the situation, other pancahayts have also followed suit. A visit to the Betalbatim’s Sun Set beach on Thursday revealed the presence of stray dogs along the approach road to the beach. Local residents informed that the dogs have strayed in the residential area and the locals have intimidated the prevailing situation to the NGOs dealing with stray animals.
At Cavelossim, the hub of starred resorts, some of the hotels are believed to have intimated the local panchayat members about the stray dog menace and to take immediate action to contain the nuisance.
Colva Sarpanch Snowkon Gonsalves said the panchayat has undertaken a drive to vaccinate the stray dogs. “It’s not uncommon to find stray dogs in residential localities this part of the year during the tourism off season. We have embarked on an exercise to vaccinate the dogs so that they do not pose danger to the villagers,” he said.
