With the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) failing to take measures for checking population of stray dogs, several persons were attacked and injured by the canines at Zadibal locality in Downtown here.
Locals said a boy was attacked by a pack of dogs at NewColony Zadibal. “The boy received injuries and was rescued from clutches ofcanines by some pedestrians,” they said. The child was shifted to hospital fortreatment.
Muhammad Maqbool Baba, a local said that in past three days,around seven persons, mostly women and children were attacked by canines.
“We have informed SMC officials in this regard. However,they are making us to run from pillar to post, and doing nothing on ground,” hesaid.
Locals expressed resentment against SMC for failing tocontrol dog menace.
“This is not first incident in our locality. Such incidentsoften occur here. Recently, an aged person was attacked by canines and hereceived serious injuries,” they said.
In 2009, the ARC has recorded two deaths in three months,including of a four-year-old Hanan Iqbal. Similarly in 2008, two deaths tookplace, including of 12-year-old Sabzar Ahmad and a CRPF personnel. Two deathswere recorded in 2010 and 2011 as well, reveals official data.
In 2010, a six-year old boy from Achabal Anantnag died dueto rabies. Also a 65-year-old woman, Khati, from the district also died due torabies.
In 2011, a boy named Omar drowned in river Jhelum when agroup of dogs chased him near Zaina Kadal here. According to officials, nearlyhalf of the cases of dog bites happen to be the Class III bites—where thevictim has one or further bites, scratches, licks on broken skin, or extracontact that breaks the skin.
The erstwhile State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) onSeptember 25, 2013 had taken strong note of killing of an infant by stray dogsat Habak and directed the authorities to take measures to check the caninemenace.
A World Health Organization (WHO) sponsored nationalmulti-centric rabies survey (2006) says on an average human-dog ratio in thecountry stands at 1:36. A dog starts reproducing at the age of two and givesbirth to several puppies at one time.
In six years, Srinagar has recorded 30,711 dog bite cases.Of these 7,000 cases were registered in 2012-13, followed by 6,041 cases in2013-14, 4,917 cases in 2014-15, 5,100 cases in 2015-16, 5,120 cases in 2016-17and 2,533 cases in 2017-18.
People are of the opinion that authorities have failed tocurb the ever-growing population of stray dogs, the canines pose serious threatto people in Srinagar.
People are up in arms against the authorities for sittingover sterilization of the stray dogs—which has over the years resulted inmanifold increase in population of the canines.
SMC Commissioner Gaznaffar Ali said he will look into thematter.