HYDERABAD: After the Telangana High Court directed GHMC to establish a helpline exclusively for dog-bite-related cases, it is reported that the helpline will come into effect next week.
Till now, citizens in GHMC have been calling toll-free numbers 040-21111111 (helpline) and 040-23225397 (contact support) to register complaints about dog menace.
However, these two phone numbers are being utilised for raising all types of civic-related grievances such as town planning, rain-related assistance, tree fall, water logging, garbage dumping, streetlights, illegal constructions, footpaths, Nala and lakes encroachments, construction and debris-related complaints, poor desilting works, potholes, road damages and other complaints etc.
Sources said that with the directions of the High Court yesterday for a dedicated helpline for dog menace cases, a note file has been prepared and will be forwarded to the GHMC Commissioner for taking necessary action in this regard.
Every day, the civic body receives around 150-175 dog-related complaints, over 90-95 per cent of the complaints given by the citizens are regarding catching and taking away of their street dogs from their localities, colonies basthis etc.
In the last 15 days, around 3,150 dog complaints have been received, the majority of them were to catch the dogs, and less than ten complaints were dog bite cases.
Apart from complaints received through toll-free numbers, the Veterinary wing also receives complaints through social media like the ‘X’ handle and other platforms, My GHMC App, GHMC web portal, email, and Dial 100.