MC moots free treatment for dog-bite victims

Rajinder Nagarkoti

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 27

While the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation has failed to find any solution to the stray dog menace in the city, it has come up with a proposal to provide free treatment to dog-bite victims. The proposal will be placed for discussion at the Municipal Corporation General House tomorrow.

Confirming the development, Chandigarh Municipal Commissioner B Purushartha said they would place the agenda at the MC House meeting tomorrow. Presently, the MC provides syringe for Rs 100 and serum for Rs 50 in Sectors 19 and 38 anti-rabies dispensaries. The dispensaries remain open for six days from 9 am to 3 pm.

The proposal is coming up for discussion in the wake of the April 22 incident, wherein a stray dog had attacked 11 people in Sector 15 of the city. Later, that dog had died. The anti-rabies clinics in Sectors 19 and 38 are receiving around 50 dog-bite cases every day.

In the past two years (April 2015 to March 2017), the Municipal Corporation has sterilised 8,600 stray dogs. The civic body had given the responsibility of carrying out sterilisation of stray dogs to Udgir-based NGO, Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), two years ago. The agency was sterilising 450 dogs in a month, which was reduced to 200 dogs in a month recently.

 Victims demand compensation 

Chandigarh:  As the stray dog menace in the city is all set to rock the Municipal Corporation General House meeting on Friday, dog-bite victims demanded compensation and treatment of human serum, which is very costly, from the MC. They even alleged that neither the Mayor nor their area councillor visited them till date. Congress leader Deipa Asdhir Dubey, a resident of Sector 15, said if the MC would not provide compensation to them, she will approach the court on behalf of the victims. Meanwhile, the BJP, in its pre-house meeting on Thursday evening, decided that they will ensure an effective sterilisation drive in the city. They Mayor has also sought time from Union Minister Maneka Gandhi to meet her but till the appointment is yet to be given.   

Number of canines up

The number of stray dogs on the Chandigarh streets has soared significantly over the past five years. In 2007, the number was 5,713, whereas the latest census conducted by the UT Animal Husbandry Department in 2014 put the figure at 7,847. The population of stray dogs here has risen by about 36 per cent.

What rules say

According to the Centre-notified Animal Birth Control (Dogs) Rules-2000 (ABC Rules), there is a ban on killing of stray dogs, even the ferocious ones. The UT Administration has banned commercial breeding of dogs in the city.

Dog pounds nowhere

While the stray dog menace continues to haunt city residents, the higher authorities are sitting over a plan to construct dog pounds in Chandigarh. In view of increasing dog-bite cases, the UT Administration, in January 2009, had announced to set up two dog pounds (Animal Birth Control Hospital) to free the city of the stray dog menace. However, so far, the MC and the UT Administration have only been exchanging letters and nothing concrete has come out.

8,600 sterilised in past two years 

In the past two years (April 2015 to March 2017), the Municipal Corporation has sterilised 8,600 stray dogs. The civic body had given the responsibility of carrying out sterilisation of stray dogs to Udgir-based NGO, Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), two years ago.