Govt tells MCD to catch snakes before Commonwealth Games

After dealing with rats, stray cattle and street dogs, Municipal Corporation of Delhi may now go after snakes that have started making an appearance due to monsoon. The Delhi government has told the civic body to make sure that snakes do not play spoilsport during the Commonwealth Games in October.

The civic agency, however, claims it will not be catching any snakes as its workers neither have the expertise nor is it their "job" to tackle reptiles. Said a senior veterinary MCD official: "In one of the meetings held with the Delhi government, it was suggested that MCD should catch snakes before the Games. But we made it clear that we do not have the expertise to catch snakes."

The civic agency is trying its best to control stray animals before the Games. It has worked out a detailed plan and has formed 13 special teams to keep stray cattle, monkeys, street dogs and rats off the roads in Delhi during the Games. "These teams will be headed by a veterinary official each and will do no other work except clamping down on illegal dairies and catching stray cattle," an MCD official said.

The MCD also plans to rope in veterinary doctors to carry out sterilization of stray dogs in return of a fixed remuneration and is setting up sterilization centres across the capital.

To catch rats, it has shortlisted 65 MCD workers from its veterinary department who will visit Games venues. "We have purchased 1,000 cages that the squad can use to catch rodents. The chief secretary of Delhi recently held a meeting asking the MCD to chalk out a plan for ridding the city of rodents as their presence in venues and Games sites would be an embarrassing situation," said an MCD official.