Dog bite cases on the rise in Panchkula dist
Despite an ongoing sterilisation drive, Panchkula district has reported 8,925 cases of dog bite this year till October 31. It translates to 892 cases every month. The number has already surpassed last year’s total count of 7,556 cases by over 1,300 cases, even as the figures for November and December are yet to be compiled.
A three-year-old girl child was bitten by a stray dog in Sector 25 on Monday. Abhijeet, the girl’s father, said the dog attacked her while they were taking a stroll in the area. The girl was treated in a nearby hospital.
As per data compiled by the District Health Department, 792 cases of dog bite were reported in October alone, institution-wise details are yet to be compiled. Twenty-seven different institutions in the district, including Civil Hospital, Panchkula, PHCs, CHCs and dispensaries, have recorded 8,133 cases till September-end.
Elderly, kids at risk
Residents of the Sector 25 area said a stray female dog had recently given birth to pups. “Our area is beset by stray dogs that attack the elderly and children alike and run behind vehicles, which often leads to road accidents,” they pointed out.
The area police post incharge also visited the place to take stock of situation. The residents said the menace was rampant in the entire city.
Sterilisation programme
The Panchkula MC has sterilised nearly 2,000 stray dogs since January.
The Kalka civic body, on the other hand, has sterilised over 1,600 canines since March.
Sanjeev Goyal, president of Citizen Committee of House Owners, Sector 25, said they had been complaining to the MC regarding attacks by stray dogs, but to no avail. “Some people complain of regular attacks by dogs, but MC staff rarely come to the area to catch the strays.” Subhash Papneja, general secretary of Residents Welfare Association, Sector 16, said, “The dogs mostly attack maids. It has become difficult for people from adjoining areas to visit our sector.”
Civic bodies doing their bit
The number of dog bite cases has gone up even as Panchkula as well as Kalka civic bodies are sterilising stray dogs.
Officials of the Panchkula MC said they had been carrying out sterilisation of dogs regularly. The MC’s previous project in this regard came to an end in April. It floated another tender for sterilisation of 1,500 dogs from May, which is going on presently. MC Chief Sanitary Inspector Avinash Singla said the civic body has sterilised nearly 2,000 dogs since January.
The Kalka MC, meanwhile, started its sterilisation project in March. Insiders said the project halted last year, which led to an increase in the number of canines in the area. The MC has sterilised over 1,600 dogs so far. Dogs from both the areas are being sterilised at Panchkula MC Sukhdarshanpur village centre.
Human-dog conflict
According to Shaurya Gilhotra of the Bezubaan Sanstha organisation, which is doing dog sterilisation work for Panchkula and Kalka civic bodies, people’s indifference toward the canines is the reason behind the attacks.
“The rising human-dog conflict is behind the rise in the number of dog bite cases as these animals live alongside humans, but people have stopped feeding the canines. People beat them dogs and many strays die after being crushed under the wheels of speeding vehicles. In fact, people make concerted efforts to relocate the dogs to a far-off location, all of which is illegal and extremely stressful for the animals. People’s indifference is a leading cause for their aggression,” Galhotra said.
He added that the NGO has been sterilising dogs every month and their population is under control in the region.
A total of 8,133 dog bite incidents have been reported in the district till September. The following health facilities have reported highest number of cases. The government hospital Sector 6 has reported 4,236 cases, Kalka SDH (710), Sector 26 Polyclinic (651), Pinjore Polyclinic (434), Sector 19 Dispensary (343), Sector 16 UHC (334) and Kot village PHC (276)
