No end to stray dog menace in Amritsar

PK Jaiswar

Amritsar, April 5

Despite the fact that stray dog menace has assumed alarming proportions in the city as well as in rural belt of the holy city, the district administration has not woken up from its deep slumber it seems.

The recent incident involving a 9-year-old boy who was mauled by stray dogs at a village near Mehta has brought the focus back on the menace.

Ever since the two centres were set up in Gumanpura and Fatehgarh Shukarchak village, around 6,500 strays have been sterilised. Currently around 25 stray dogs are sterilised at the centre, while ideally around 200-300 canines should be sterilised to control their population. An official of MC’s Veterinary wing

The civic authorities were conducting the sterilisation process, but it was to slow considering huge population of stray canines. Stray dogs have become a great menace especially for the residents of the walled city, where people fear to venture out late at nights in case of any urgency.

An official of Municipal Corporation’s Veterinary wing, while wishing not to be named, said till now around 6,500 stray dogs have been sterilised since the two centres were set up in Gumanpura and Fatehgarh Shukarchak village.

“Currently around 25 stray dogs were being sterilised at the centre while ideally around 200-300 canines should sterilised in order to control their population,” he pointed out.

As per the recent census, there were around 28,377 stray dogs in the areas located under the jurisdiction of Municipal Corporation limits, but sources said the actual population was over 50,000 plus in the city.

Advocate Ravi Mahajan pointed out that a concrete plan or policy should be framed by the authorities in order to check the rising population of canines. “Lack of concrete efforts from the administration side failed to give desired results. Hence, the problem continues,” he said.

Dr Darshan Kashyap, in charge, veterinary wing, said the civic authorities have taken steps for sterilisation of stray dogs. Stray dogs were being sterilised on daily basis. He said stray dogs were caught and sterilised as per the guidelines of the Animal Welfare Board and leave them back to areas from where they were caught.

In cities though certain efforts are made, but in villages there menace goes unchecked. Gurdev Singh, a farmer of Mehta area, said the dogs become ferocious, especially areas near carcass dumping grounds. The governments never spare a thought over this and sometimes the people were forced to take law into their hands.