Dog bite cases are still being reported and inefficient waste management is being blamed.The number of dogbite cases reported in January was 571 followed by 481 in February and more than 400 cases in March
KOCHI:The stray dog menace is back. Reason: Apathy on the part of authorities in treating waste. Despite the public crying foul on the rising canine trouble, the issue lingers on and more dog bite cases are being reported every month.
Corporation welfare standing committee chairman A B Sabu said the civic sense of people too has to be blamed.“We had introduced Animal Birth Control programme, which is still going well with a squad in place. We also allocated funds in the budget to curb the menace. The Corporation collects waste from various spots before noon every day. But, within an hour, new waste pile is formed and naturally, this attracts stray dogs.
The Corporation alone cannot keep the city clean, people should also play their part and practice systematic waste management,” said AB Sabu. The number of dogbite cases reported in the month of January was 571 followed by 481 cases in February and more than 400 cases in March. Among these, violent attacks are less, however there is no denying that the severity of the issue is increasing.
A spot at Elamakkara where waste is dumped everyday alone has at least 10 dogs roaming around it, which unleashes fury on the passerby. According to the public, the waste that piles up here is dumped not only by those who live nearby but by people from other parts too. The area, in the heart of the city, is a frequently-used road, making it an extremely dangerous spot to visit.
Food waste from hotels
It is the food waste from hotels and butcher shops that lure dogs. And, the irresponsible waste management by hotel staff is to be blamed for the situation. “The waste bin practice is yet to establish in Kerala. The problem can be tackled if we have waste bins in all public centres. We can then slowly expand it to a large scale to setting up regular waste dump yards.
The lack of manpower is also detrimental in removal of waste. A systematic disposal of waste is the duty of every citizen and the responsibility of authorities is to ensure that such a mechanism is in place. A lot of dog bite cases are still being reported from various parts of the city,” said N K Kuttappan, DMO.
Terror on the streets
A four-year-old girl, Sitara, who was studying at her house at Ayyankali Road near Gandhi Square, and 11 persons others were attacked by a stray dog which went on a biting spree on February 7 at Chambakkara division of Kochi Corporation.
A 67-year-old man was attacked at Kolencherry last Sunday at his house. Last month in Trippunithura, two kids aged five were attacked by stray dogs and were hospitalised Constant reports come from Piravom about how the cattle is being regularly killed by stray dogs.
Poor waste management and sterilisation schemes are touted as the reasons