The increasing canine population in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district is posing a risk to the lives of common people.
With the phenomenal increase in dog population and an apparent lack of initiative by the administration in tacking the issue, people across the district are in trouble with daily reports of dog bites.
Few months back, Baramulla lost a promising lawyer Abdul Majeed Rather of DewanbaghBaramulla to the dog attack.
His death evoked resentment among the locals who urged the authorities to put an end to the dog menace in the district.
However, despite growing demand from the civil society, the administration looked the other way.
While the Municipal Council Baramulla and the Animal Husbandry Department, Baramulla are the two key departments to carry out birth control of the dogs in the district, the lack of synergy between the two, as well as scarcity of funds is proving to be a hurdle in carrying such a drive.
There is also no census of stray dog population in Baramulla.
“Municipal Council Baramulla is silent over the issue even as people are mauled by stray dogs every day,” said IjtibaShafi of Baramulla town.
A top official of the Animal Husbandry department said that they were ready to provide technical support to the Municipal Council Baramulla.
He said the job of the Municipal Council Baramulla, which has men as well as machinery at its disposal, was to catch the dogs and bring it to the Animal Husbandry department for sterlisation.
“We can carry any surgery at Baramulla and Sopore hospitals but the post-surgery care cost has to be borne by the Municipal Council Baramulla,” said Dr Syed Anwar Andrabi, Chief Animal Husbandry Officer Baramulla.
He said they had sent a proposal to the government, identifying the land as well as post-surgery rehabilitation programme for dogs as well as other animals.
According to sources in Municipal Council Baramulla, there are no separate funds to carry out dog birth control drive.