Karnataka Minister for Bengaluru Development Krishna Byre Gowda on Tuesday questioned the effectiveness of the city’s Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme and tree plantation initiatives, asking civic officials why the stray dog population remains high despite spending over ₹100 crore and what happened to more than 11 lakh saplings planted over the past two decades.

During a review meeting of the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), the minister expressed dissatisfaction with the explanations provided by officials, stating that they failed to offer constructive answers backed by data.

Minister questions stray dog sterilisation programme

Gowda said Bengaluru has been grappling with the stray dog issue for decades despite continuous sterilisation drives.

According to official data, the city had 3.1 lakh stray dogs in the 2019 census, which declined only marginally to 2.79 lakh in the 2023 survey.

The minister pointed out that between 2016-17 and 2023, nearly 3.3 lakh Animal Birth Control (ABC) surgeries had been carried out. Given that the average lifespan of a stray dog is around eight years, he questioned why the population had not reduced significantly.

“If the sterilisation numbers are accurate, why has the population not reduced drastically? The numbers do not add up,” Gowda said.

Officials informed the meeting that around ₹42 crore had been spent on the programme over the past five years, while the minister estimated that total expenditure over the last 25 years could be between ₹100 crore and ₹150 crore.

To improve outcomes, Gowda directed officials to increase annual sterilisation from the current 40,000-45,000 surgeries to 90,000 to one lakh each year for the next three years.

Missing trees raise fresh questions

The minister also questioned the fate of lakhs of saplings planted across Bengaluru.

According to BBMP forest records, over 20 lakh saplings have been planted since 2008. However, the ongoing tree census, which is about 85 per cent complete, has identified only around 9 lakh trees within the city limits, excluding major green campuses such as Cubbon Park, Lalbagh, IISc, GKVK and Bengaluru University.

“If over 20 lakh trees have been planted, what happened to the rest?” Gowda asked, while also seeking an explanation for trees planted before 2008.

Officials said planting and maintaining each sapling under the GBA programme costs around ₹2,300 over three years.

Transparent monitoring planned

Gowda directed officials to create a transparent system to monitor tree plantations and survival rates. He also instructed them to involve Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) more actively in future plantation drives.

The city plans to plant 64,000 saplings this year, with the government aiming to improve accountability and ensure higher survival rates.