Sameer shares a common topic of discussion these days
Dog Menace: Problems and Remedies
Sameer Rashid Bhat
The pleasant weather last evening compelled even a slothful person like me to take a stroll. Within few minutes my leisure walk quickened to a brisk pace and soon I had to hasten myself home, courtesy stray dogs.
Kashmir valley, particularly Srinagar city, has been literally left to dogs. The dog population is growing exponentially in the city. Officials estimate that 100,000 stray dogs roam the streets of the city. According to some estimates, the dog population will equal the human population in Kashmir in 2014. One can only imagine the results in such a situation.
The number of dog bite cases reported at SMHS in 2007 stood at 3185 while in 2008 it increased upto 3866. There may be many more cases of dog bites which go unreported while they are treated at district hospitals or private clinics. SMHS hospital receives dog bite victims from Baramulla, Anantnag, Budgam and other districts too besides Srinagar. Kids are the main victims.
Stray dogs also pose threat to pedestrians, cyclists and two wheelers, particularly in the evening hours. There have been instances where people have died after being bitten by an apparently healthy dog. In Ganderbal, for instance, a boy accompanying his father was licked by some puppies in his wounded feet. Nobody took it seriously but later on the child developed rabies and died.
There is a desperate need to take some measures for the prevention of dog biting. Mutton shops near residential areas should be closed immediately and alternative places should be allotted to them. Srinagar Municipal Corporation should provide shelter and food to old and weak dogs. Birth control programme for dogs can be taken up to check their population. In municipal heath centers, there is severe shortage of rabies vaccine. We need to have adequate supply of the vaccine. The stray dog menace is a grave problem and the authorities should act to tackle this issue effectively.