Mumbai News: BMC Designates Feeding Zones At NESCO Exhibition Centre, 8 Months After 26 Stray Dogs Starve To Death

Mumbai: After more than eight months of the incident where 26 stray dogs starved to death inside the NESCO Centre’s premises, the exhibition centre and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation have finally managed to designate feeding zones for stray animals.

The death of 26 dogs in July 2024 at NESCO Exhibition Centre in Goregaon (E) had created a widespread outrage among animal lovers as the untoward incident had happened after a management employee and a security guard at the exhibition centre had allegedly prevented an animal lover from feeding around 40 dogs living in the campus. The Vanrai police had also booked the employees for allegedly preventing the feeding of dogs.

The Free Press Journal reported on March 28 that BMC and NESCO Centre had failed to provide designated feeding spots for the strays on the exhibition centre’s premises, eight months after the death of 26 dogs in July 2024. A meeting was scheduled on March 18 but was postponed as NESCO stated that their representative handling the matter was unavailable.

Following the report, an animal welfare committee meeting was held on April 17 where three spots inside the campus were designated to feed stray animals. The spots include the rear side of hall no. 7 adjacent to the ground area, bus assembly point under the tree located behind Block 4 and near the northern gate of hall no. 7.

Roshan Pathak, animal rights advisor with PAL Foundation, who had complained in the matter, said, “The animals living inside NESCO will finally get feeding zones and it could be possible only because of advocate Preeti Salaskar and our NGO’s coordinator Deepali Jain. However, it took us eight months to make this happen even when the law mandates feeding zones in all public and private properties.”

The BMC also directed the feeders to feed the dogs strictly at the designated spots only between 11pm and 12am. Moreover, it also stated that all the feeders must adhere to the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, 2023, which include ensuring humane treatment and handling of community animals while not obstructing public spaces, roads or causing inconvenience to the residents.