Stray dog menace haunts Srinagar residents

With the number of dog bite case on the rise, the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) has roped in an agency from Rajasthan for carrying out mass sterilisation of dogs to control the rising canine population.

While the exact dog population of Srinagar at present is not known, as per the last dog census conducted in 2011, there were more than 90,000 canines in a city of 1.2 million. Experts believe the number might have doubled in the past 12 years. The number of dog attacks is also on the rise in the city.

“Last evening, stray dogs chased to bite my daughter,” said Firdous Ahmad, a resident of Tankipora area in the city. He said while earlier only children and elderly were vulnerable to dog attacks, now even adults are being attacked.

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Sterilisation only option left, says civic body

Municipal authorities say sterilisation of the canines is the only option left to control their population as traditional methods like poisoning have been outlawed. “To sterilise such huge population of dogs, we have outsourced our ABC (Animal Birth Control) programme. We have hired an agency from Rajashtan which will sterilise the canines,” said Dr Tawheed Najar, in-charge of the ABC programme, at the local body.

He said a fresh census of the dog population was underway to know its exact number in the city as the last such exercise was held in 2011. “We have hired an agency for the conduct of fresh census of dog population. It will shortly submit its report,” Najar said.

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Over 6,000 dog bite cases in 10 months

More than 6,200 cases of dog bites have been reported in the past 10 months at just one of the four tertiary care hospitals — the SMHS hospital in the city. “We usually see 20 to 30 patients per day of dog bite cases. During last 10 years, there is an increasing trend in dog bite cases. Although there was a slight decline during the COVID-19 lockdown, overall the trend is increasing every year,” said Dr Abdul Hamid, head of the anti-rabies centre at SMHS hospital.

Najar said there was only one centre for carrying out sterilisation earlier, but now two more centres are being added. The problem is not limited to Srinagar city but most urban areas of Kashmir.

Shabir Malik, a resident of Pampore town in Pulwama district, said his son had barely stepped out his house when he was attacked by dogs. He alleged that the administration is not taking any measures to control the dog menace.

(With Agency inputs)