BMC and NGOs intensify sterilisation drives, yet stray numbers surge in Mumbai

In recent years Mumbai has seen a significant rise in stray animal sterilisation efforts led by dedicated NGOs the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation BMC and municipalities in the greater Mumbai metropolitan region However the effort does not match the need as the number of stray cats and dogs continues to climb and so do cases of animal fights stray attacks and infectious diseases among the animals in many pockets of the cityBehind this growing crisis lies a critical truth Population control isnrsquot just about managing numbers mdash itrsquos about survival safety and compassionSterilisation is a medical procedure for animals which prevents them from reproducing In male animals it is called neutering where the testicles are removed while for females it is spaying where the ovaries and uterus are removedVolunteer vets and surgeons participating in the Spay Day initiative of Feline Foundation PicInstagramthefelinefoundationStray animal sterilisation comes with a good share of financial challenges Many lowermiddleclass families and individuals who care for strays simply canrsquot afford the surgeries leading to an endless cycle of uncontrolled breeding Sunday midday spoke to two key organisations working on the ground to better understand the challenges and the road aheadIn Versova the Feline Foundation has been responding to the sharp spike in Mumbairsquos stray cat population ldquoTherersquos no official census but the surge in hotline calls intakes and sterilisations says it allrdquo says Pallavi Kamath the foundationrsquos executive director ldquoMumbairsquos dense environment coupled with plentiful food sources means high breeding rates Today many stray cats only survive 67 years mdash far below their natural lifespan of 1820 yearsrdquoUnlike dogs cats are highly territorial and solitary In overpopulated zones they often engage in violent territorial disputes suffer starvation or fall victim to fatal illnesses Mumbairsquos harsh infrastructure mdash busy roads open drains construction debris mdash only worsens the danger Reproductive cancers are also common in unneutered cats ldquoTherersquos a wellmeaning but misplaced concern that neutering is unnaturalrdquo Kamath says ldquoBut stray overpopulation is also a manmade problem so itrsquos our responsibility to fix it and sterilisation is humanerdquoIn PAL Foundationrsquos Water Bowl Project cement water bowls are donated to volunteers all over the city PicInstagrampalfoundationinWhile the BMC has been supportive of cat sterilisation mdash making Mumbai the only Indian city to institutionalise such efforts mdash the process is layered with paperwork and public awareness is sorely lacking ldquoBureaucratic formalities slow things downrdquo Kamath explains ldquoMany people donrsquot even know that free sterilisation services exist Thatrsquos one of the biggest challenges we face mdash educating people and getting access to private properties where strays take shelterrdquoThe story is no different for stray dogs Deepali Jain legal coordinator of Pure Animal Lovers PAL mdash a group founded by senior police inspector Sudhir Kudalkar mdash says the current protocol places too much responsibility on feeders ldquoEvery female dog can give birth to 67 puppies But the BMC only steps in when someone calls Ideally there should be designated officials managing sterilisation proactivelyrdquoJain points to gaps in enforcement and coordination While the BMC has tieups with groups like In Defense of Animals and Youth Organistion for Defence of Animals there is no citywide strategy According to PAL BMC data shows that the stray dog population has reached an estimated 164 lakh as of 2023 mdash marking a staggering 7237 increase since 2014Overpopulation leads to food scarcity aggression and rising cases of dog bites mdash especially during heat cycles ldquoStray dogs recognise only their feeders When people shoo them they respond out of fear Thatrsquos when bites happenrdquo she says ldquoTheyrsquore emotional beings and they need calm humane care mdash not hostilityrdquoPAL also deals with animal cruelty and legal issues mdash cases of feeders being harassed animals being hurt or illegally relocated or territories disrupted by construction With over 10000 members in its WhatsApp community and 2530 volunteer lawyers PAL has become a legal support system for animal welfare across the countryBut even promising initiatives stumble due to poor outreach ldquoTherersquos an app to register stray dogs but no one knows about itrdquo Jain points out ldquoWithout awareness and governmentled education programs wersquore always a few steps behindrdquoDespite the hurdles hope persists The Feline Foundation recently neutered 105 cats in one day as part of Spay Day a global event promoting sterilisation awareness Meanwhile PAL has placed about 5550 water bowls in Mumbai for dogs in their Free Water Bowl project of 2025 NGOs continue to push forward with zonal surveys medical camps and free sterilisation drivesYet for any real progress to take root Mumbai needs a structured citywide population control policy mdash with increased funding stronger protocols and consistent public awareness campaigns As Jain puts it ldquoWe accommodate people in this city with some sort of management Why not extend that logic to strays They deserve a lifeline toordquo15Average number of kittens a cat can deliver per yearatOptionskeyd0ddb8ef8f1a62a8cdd22fac27fc5ea7formatiframeheight90width728params