UDUPI: Udupi district is grappling with increasing dog bite cases with 11,407 cases reported in eight months between January and August 2023, revealed official data. Two persons have also died in eight months from dog bites in the district.
With local authorities, particularly in rural areas, indifferent to the predicament, the rise in dog bite cases can also be attributed to stray dogs not being properly fed in many parts of the district.
Local urban bodies like CMC, TMC, town panchayat, and gram panchayat are yet to take up animal birth control (ABC) programmes in a sustained manner. Dr Shankar Shetty, Deputy Director, Animal Husbandry Department, Udupi district, told The New Indian Express that sterilization and ABC programme should be conducted with the co-operation of local authorities like gram panchayat.
The animal husbandry department is ready to cooperate by providing necessary technical support to the panchayats across the district, he said.
Sources said though a tender was floated for sterilization and the ABC programme, not many NGOs came forward. The gram panchayats should set aside the necessary grant backed by a proper action plan to implement the ABC programme in a time-bound manner.
Dr Nagabhushan Udupa, DHO Udupi, said people should take immediate treatment in case of a dog bite as the delay would lead to complex problems. The government health facility centres offer good treatment, he added.