SRIKAKULAM:With the stray dog attacks, a large number of people in the district are hospitalised daily. With no action from the civic authorities, dog bite cases are increasing every day in the district. After the stray dog attacks at Itchapuram where five persons were severely injured, on Wednesday seven persons were grievously injured by stray dogs. Except for the collector’s review meeting on the dog menace, no department has initiated any action in the district.
Seven persons were injured in stray dog attacks at Palakonda Wednesday. A pack of dogs in Indiranagar Colony attacked a two-year-old D Chakri, 18-month-old B Anith and 32-year-old B Naga and injured them. However, a group of people rescued the victims and shifted them to hospital. In another incident at Relliveedhi in the town, 70-year-old U Sitamnaidu, four-year-old Pratap, 60-year-old Narayana and 44-year-old Ganesh were injured when a mad dog attacked them. All the injured were shifted to a local hospital and are undergoing treatment.
According to the district administration, there are about a lakh stray dogs in the district and the number has been increasing. During January to December 2014, as many as 15,000 people were injured in stray dog attacks. This year, from January till now, over 6,000 people were injured. There are six municipalities and 1,099 gram panchayats in the district. So far, no municipality or gram panchayat in the district has taken up any measure to rein in the stray dogs in the district.
A few months ago, collector P Lakshmi Nrusimham convened a meeting with all the departmental heads and discussed the dog menace. The collector directed the officials to take immediate measures to control the menace, and prepare an action plan at the village and municipality levels to control the dogs. However, there is no action from any department.
“Though the issue is very serious, due to lack of funds we are unable to take action. Vehicles, dog shelters, dog catchers, doctors and vaccinations are badly needed. During the review meeting, the officials raised many issues, but where can we get funds to meet the expenditure?” a senior Panchayat officer lamented.
Animal Husbandry joint director P Naganna said that the municipalities and panchayats should jointly take up the programme. From the department’s side, a veterinary team has been deployed in each municipality to take up sterilisation of stray dogs. If necessary, more veterinary doctors from the university would be deployed, Naganna added.