Dogged by strays, airport at Mohali fraught with risk

Akash Ghai

Tribune News Service

Mohali, April 2

Following increasing number of stray dogs posing a major threat to residents on the streets, public places such as parks and playgrounds across the tricity, and even at Sukhna Lake in Chandigarh, the latest to become a free roaming ground for stray dogs is the swanky Chandigarh international airport at Mohali.

Stray dogs roaming freely, barking and even chasing air passengers inside the international airport terminal building has become a major cause of concern and threat to passengers.

A visit to the airport on Saturday revealed that a pack of six to eight stray dogs was roaming freely and made movement of people, especially children and the aged, fraught with danger.

“This is sheer nonsense,” said a woman passenger on seeing a pack of stray dogs coming towards her family, including a kid. She and a male member were seen “protecting” the kid from the “approaching threat”.

Anjali, a local resident who had come to receive her relative, said, “One can easily imagine the impression the international airport gives to visitors, especially foreign guests, when stray dogs welcome you at the entrance.”

It’s not only an eyesore but also a big threat to the visitors here, she said.

Rajesh Kumar, who had come to the airport to receive his friend, said, “What if a dog bites a passenger, especially someone going abroad. You can easily imagine the situation of the victim in such a scenario,” he said.

Passengers/visitors, visibly upset with the presence of canines around them, were aghast at the fact that nobody (official) was bothered about the menace.

Sunil Dutt, CEO of the airport, said he was aware of the menace. Dutt claimed that he had brought the matter to the notice of the Mohali Deputy Commissioner verbally twice or thrice. “You know stray dogs are a problem all around.”