Srinagar / Kupwara: The stray dog menace has gripped Kashmir with the menace affecting residential and commercial areas as well as hospitals and schools alike.
In Srinagar, at Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Soura, the attendants as well as patients say that they face inconvenience due to the stray dog menace.
The attendants said that dozens of dogs roam on the hospital premises making it difficult for the attendants and patients to move around.
“We have been in the hospital for the past two weeks and in the short period, I was attacked multiple times and had a narrow escape. How are patients supposed to run and save their lives,” said an attendant, Manzoor Ahmad.
The attendants said that due to the stray dog menace they were facing hindrance in carrying out important tasks in the hospital.
“We are required to go out of the hospital to bring medicine, food, or any other item for the patient but we are facing problems due to the stray dog menace. After late in the evening or late night, it is impossible to move out as there is less footfall of the people while dogs occupy the hospital premises,” an attendant said.
Recently multiple videos surfaced on social media where dozens of dogs were seen roaming in SKIMS, Soura.
The attendants appealed to the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) and hospital administration to look into the issue.
The SKIMS authorities were not available for their comment on the issue.
Meanwhile, the residents of Handwara and Kupwara towns on Tuesday expressed strong resentment against the presence of a large number of stray dogs in these towns.
The residents said that the presence of stray dogs in the new bus stand at Handwara, Herpora, Umerabad, Maqboolabad, Kupwara Bypass, and Sub District Hospital Kupwara hampers the movement of locals and school children.
“Due to the presence of many slaughterhouses in our locality, the population of stray dogs has increased but the authorities are watching as mute spectators,” said Manzoor Ahmad, a local from Herpora Handwara.
Recently, many people were attacked by stray dogs and left injured in the twin towns of Kupwara and Handwara.
“We brought this issue to the notice of the concerned authorities several times but to no avail,” Rafiq Ahmad of Kupwara Bypass said.
Municipal Committee Handwara Chairman Masroor Banday said that the stray dog menace had been an alarming issue.
“The government should come up with some concrete steps so that people do not fall prey to dog attacks,” he said.