SUKKUR: The Sukkur bench of the Sindh High Court on Thursday ordered Sindh’s secretary of local government to resume old methods for culling dogs in order to save precious human lives in the province and arrange funds for purchasing aircraft and vehicles to be used in large-scale sprays for eliminating the scourge of locusts.

A divisional bench comprising Justices Aftab Ahmad Gorar and Khadim Hussain Tunio passed the order on a petition filed by a concerned citizen about rising cases of rabid dogs’ attacks and prolonged onslaught of locusts on Sindh.

Additional Advocate General Shafi Mohammad Chandio informed the court that Sindh government had planned to eliminate the rabid dogs by applying a new method of sterilising the canines and had prepared a PC-1 for the purpose.

He said that dog’s culling was sole responsibility of taluka municipal administrations and extermination of locusts was prime duty of agriculture department.

Hyderabad agriculture extension’s director general Hidayatullah Chijjro said that they had taken all necessary measures for exterminating huge swarms of locusts through aerial as well as ground spray.

Sukkur in-charge of locust control section of the federal department of plant protection, Noor Ellahi Dasti, said that they had provided the pesticide to Sindh government and now onus was on it to do the needful.

The court directed in its order that secretary of local government resume old methods for dog culling in order to save human lives and ordered all chief municipal officers and TMOs to use the old, tried and tested methods for dog culling.

The court asked the chief secretary to take measures for making available aircraft, vehicles and medicines required for carrying out aerial and ground spray for the elimination of locusts.

The officer would complete the exercise within three month’s time and would also take steps for establishing laboratories at LUHMS in Jamshoro or Agricultural University in Tandojam for the preparation of antidote against dog bite and snake bite, said the court.

The court advised the chief secretary not to depend on other countries for vaccines and arrange funds for the drugs as well as the purchase of airplanes and vehicles for killing locusts.

LG secretary and chief secretary were to submit weekly progress report to the court through additional registrar and all deputy commissioners were instructed to submit reports on damage to crops in Sindh, said the order.

The court directed its office to communicate the order to chief secretary, secretary of finance, LG secretary and all deputy commissioners through fax and also provide a copy to the AAG office for compliance.

The court adjourned the case to Dec 19 after having passed the order.

Published in Dawn, December 14th, 2019