People from several localities here on Thursday accused Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) of failing to control the menace of stray dogs in their areas.
A resident of Batamaloo, Muhammad Shafi said people particularly children cannot come of of their homes due to large presence of the canines in the locality.
“Whenever our children go out to play, we accompany them to watch for the dogs in the streets,” said Shafi.
He said packs of dogs roaming inside parks, entering premises of houses and parking spaces and taking over garbage dumps was a common sight not only in Batamaloo but in adjacent localities as well.
Mushtaq Ahmad, a resident of uptown Chanapora loalcity said he was chased by dogs on Eid while he was out to distribute sacrificial meat among neighbors.
“Over the past few weeks the population of dogs has grown manifold which has led to a scare in the entire locality,” said Ahmad.
Residents of Jawahar Nagar also complained of the canine terror. “It is becoming difficult with each passing day to move out of homes amid packs of dogs moving in streets and main roads,” said a resident.
People alleged poor sanitation was one of the main reasons for presence of stray dogs in the residential areas in summer capital Srinagar. “Authorities have failed to ensure sanitation in residential areas, resulting in increasing number of stray dogs,” said Bashir Ahmad of Fateh Kadal.
People of Aali Kadal, Rajouri Kadal, Safa Kadal, Bemina, Dalgate and Sonwar also complained about growing dog menace. Despite alarming rise in the cases of dog bites, the authorities are yet to devise a concrete measure to address the menace.
SMC Veterinary Officer, Dr Javaid Ahmad Rather said presence of garbage at open spaces invite dogs to localities. “People throw garbage on roads and are not using designated dustbins kept in respective localities,” he said.
Rather said dog sterilization programme was halted due to COVID19 lockdown. “But it will be resumed shortly,” he said.