Mumbai stray dogs to get QR-coded collars under BMC’s rabies-free city push

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation BMC has launched QRcoded reflective collars for vaccinated and sterilised stray dogs aiming to improve their identification digital registration and tracking across MumbaiThe initiative is part of the civic bodys broader efforts towards making Mumbai rabiesfree by 2030 and strengthening technologybased monitoring of stray dog management an official statement saidThe BMC signed an agreement with the Ridlan AI Foundation at the civic headquarters on Thursday August 20 to introduce the QRcoded reflective collarsDeputy Municipal Commissioner Special Vinayak Vispute Veterinary Health Department head Dr Kalimpasha Pathan and Ridlan AI Foundations Akshay Ridlan along with officials and staff from the veterinary department were present during the signingQR collars to replace temporary identification methodsAccording to the officials the Mumbai civic body conducts largescale antirabies vaccination drives for stray dogs every year Until now vaccinated dogs were identified using coloured ink and other temporary markingsHowever such markings can fade or disappear over time making it difficult for civic teams to establish whether a dog has already been vaccinated or sterilisedThe new QRcoded reflective collars are expected to provide a more durable and systematic method of identificationThrough the QR tag information recorded about an individual dog can be accessed in accordance with applicable data access protocolsDigital records to track vaccination and sterilisationThe digital system will allow civic authorities and authorised stakeholders to monitor a dogs vaccination sterilisation and health interventions more effectivelyThe BMC said the system could help prevent unnecessary repetition of procedures identify gaps in vaccination and sterilisation coverage and improve fieldlevel monitoringIt could also facilitate better coordination between the civic body animal welfare organisations veterinary teams and other agencies involved in stray dog managementPart of BMCs rabiesfree Mumbai goalThe initiative is being implemented under the guidance of Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide and the leadership of Additional Municipal Commissioner City Prajakta VermaLavangareThe BMC said its stray dog management programme includes Animal Birth Control ABC antirabies vaccination and other rabies prevention measures in addition to initiatives being undertaken in accordance with Supreme Court directions on animal welfareThe civic body is increasingly using digital information systems to strengthen fieldlevel monitoring as it works towards its goal of making Mumbai rabiesfree by 2030Data could support longterm rabies eliminationThe BMC said the digital database could eventually become an important resource for Mumbais longterm rabies elimination strategyAccurate and updated information on vaccinated and sterilised dogs could help authorities identify areas requiring further intervention and improve followup measuresThe civic administration also highlighted the public health significance of the initiative saying better coordination between animal welfare and public health systems could strengthen efforts to reduce human deaths caused by rabies transmitted by dogs