Mumbai civic body plans AI surveillance of stray dogs

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is set to deploy artificial intelligence to monitor street dogs in Mumbai as part of efforts to manage their health and control their population, according to a report by Mumbai Mirror. Under the initiative, around 10,000 stray dogs will be brought under AI-based surveillance in the initial phase.

Officials informed that the system would also help identify behavioural changes and signs of mental health deterioration among dogs. The project will be implemented through a public-private partnership model, with support from private companies and non-governmental organisations, and the civic body is currently working with a startup to design and roll out the technology-driven solution, the report said.

The move comes amid rising concern over dog bite cases in the city. Mumbai is estimated to have around 95,000 stray dogs, with between 75,000 and 80,000 dog bite incidents reported annually on average. Officials said no comprehensive assessment has yet been carried out to determine the reasons behind aggressive behaviour in certain areas.

According to a senior official from the BMC’s Public Health Department, who spoke on condition of anonymity, the project will begin with the creation of a detailed digital database. Photographs of 10,000 dogs will be captured and uploaded to enable individual identification. After vaccination and sterilisation, each dog will be fitted with a special sensor, the official informed.

The system has been compared to biometric attendance, allowing each animal to be digitally identified and tracked. Officials noted that at present it is often difficult to visually determine whether a dog has been sterilised.

Data collected from CCTV cameras, drones, mobile applications and manually captured images will be analysed to identify wards with high stray dog populations and areas where the risk of attacks is increasing. The AI platform will study movement patterns and flag potential hotspots, helping the civic body plan sterilisation and vaccination drives more effectively, officials said.

By integrating citizen complaints with the AI system, the BMC expects response times to improve significantly. Officials stated that AI-based monitoring is expected to enhance public safety while also improving the overall health management of stray dogs in the city.

A senior BMC officer informed that while a formal announcement is yet to be made, a pilot project is expected to be ready by May 2026, and is aimed at providing relief to both residents and stray dogs across Mumbai.