Altaf, the citizen journalist, asks a simple question, “Why has Srinagar gone to dogs?”
What dogs Srinagar city?
Altaf Hussain
After having the ‘honour’ of being named the fourth dirtiest city in India, Srinagar is set to get another bad name or perhaps a dog name. Dogs have taken over all important roads, play fields and college grounds.
Muhammad Sultan Khan, 80, has been climbing the stairs of the Makhdoom Sahib Shrine everyday almost for the past 52 years. Now he has stopping doing it as dogs are seen on every step of the stairs leading to the shrine. The dogs soil outside the main gate of the shrine and any visitor to the shrine gets their shoes dirty. From the lawn of Mashali Mohalla Masjid Hawal to Hyderpora Chowk, dogs have made our surroundings dirty everywhere.
Three dozen dogs can be seen every day outside the gate of Islamic College for Science and Technology, Hawal. At times, these dogs have bitten students, devotes and morning walkers who had to spend Rs 30,000 each on medication to avoid rabies.
Altaf Qawi of Srinagar says he runs his life into risk every morning when he goes to attend prayers at the nearby Masjid walking amid dozens of dogs.
Appealing the chief minister to allot a piece of fenced land in every town, he says the land can be used to detain the stray dogs. “Even one gender of dogs can be kept in such fenced lawns. This can help check the dog population of Kashmir. If the government continues to be insensitive to this issue, time is not far when it will also get the ‘credit’ for the new dog name for Srinagar City.