The issue came into the spotlight some two years ago when columnist Tavleen Singh refused to remove the poop of her dog. It could ruffle feathers of dog lovers once again.

Singh said that the BMC should first think of providing citizens with cleaner streets and then propose banning pets and making owners responsible for their pets’ poop. “Why should the rule be limited only to Marine Drive. Shouldn’t the rest of the city also be kept clean instead of concentrating only on making a certain place a showpiece? And anyway poop is bio-degradable and the BMC wants us to clean it up with plastic, which is not.”

Churchgate resident Tunali Mukherjee, who regularly walks her German Shepherd-Labrador cross-breed, said, “There are no dustbins on the promenade. Even if I pick up the poop where do I throw it?” she asked. “I am a strong supporter of cleanliness but by implementing this rule, the BMC is missing out on the larger picture.”

Cities like Paris, New York and London have come up with “poop-scoop and bagger”, a pickup device that has a scoop for picking up waste and has a plastic bag lining it which can be used to remove the waste.