Bengaluru: Pop Pop, a new low decibel cracker in the market, has been in the news following incidents of students bursting them in classrooms to spark panic. But now some residents are using the same to scare away stray dogs.
The residents complain that they are tired of complaining about the stray dog menace to the BBMP and have now decided to deal with it themselves.
The Pop Pop box describes it as a ‘Novel Trick Item’ and does not state it is a cracker. They are round in shape and wrapped in a paper and freely available in grocery and departmental stores. Whereas to sell crackers it is mandatory to have licence.
When thrown to the ground, they make a noise, which is of low decibel and considered harmless. They are available at Rs 10 per packet.
They are now in huge demand, as many residents are buying it to scare away stray dogs.
Hemanth Sundar, a resident of Uday Nagar told DC that Pop Pop is handy and convenient.
“Every night after 11 pm, more than eight to ten dogs come near my house. They bark throughout the night and chase motorists. They also pull garbage from other places and dump it in front of our house. Even our neighbours are tired of it. Despite numerous complaints to the BBMP, no action was taken.”
“Recently, I saw a few youths using Pop Pop. I enquired with them and got to know that they bought it from a nearby shop. I thought that it would help scare stray dogs. I brought them and used whenever the dogs gathered. It has scared them off and it is peaceful now,” Sundar added.
Mrinalini Sharma, a resident of Coles Road, also adopted this method and claimed it was an easy way to scare dogs and it does not harm anyone. “We do not believe in the BBMP making effort to keep a check on stray dogs, so we have adopted this method, which is effective,” she added.
BBMP to take action
When this reporter carried out a reality check Pop Pop was freely available in most stores. Senior BBMP officials, when contacted, said they are aware and would soon act. “We have informed senior officers about this and will ensure that the shops do not sell such items and that too without licence,” an official said.
