Stray dogs unleash terror, but Mohali shelters on paper only

Of the several dog bite victims in the city, only two have received compensation since the formation of the stray animals accidents compensation committee around a year ago. The city does not have a single animal or dog shelter and also lacks exact data on canine population.

While one of the victims received Rs 20,000, the other was provided Rs 10,000 in compensation after running from pillar to post. Municipal Corporation (MC) officials, meanwhile, said one more case was under consideration.

The laborious process to seek compensation has left many victims frustrated. One of the applicants said he was told that around 80 applications were languishing at various stages when he began pursuing his case.

“The biggest hurdle is that police the do not file an FIR in stray dog bite cases easily,” an applicant said, adding that the complex documentation and civic body’s lackadaisical attitude in owning up the responsibility add to their woes.

The compensation committee is led by Mohali Deputy Commissioner as the chairperson and includes the Municipal Commissioner, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Urban Development), civil surgeon, Animal Husbandry Deputy Director and executive officers of the Urban Local Bodies.

“My 11-year-old son was attacked by a stray dog. He

had tooth marks on his hand and legs. The doctor clearly mentioned it in his report but it was only after running around for a year that I was paid Rs 20,000,” said Atul Sharma, a Phase 2 resident.

The issues plaguing Mohali are not limited to compensation. Despite repeated directions by the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Punjab Child Rights Commission, Human Rights Commission to control the population of strays, the results have remained poor.

The animal birth control programme in the district is in shambles. The city does not have a single animal or dog shelter and also lacks exact data on the population.

Municipal Corporation Medical Officer of Health Sanjeev Kamboj said, “The dog census is yet to be conducted. The population of stray dogs in Mohali is estimated to be around 18,000 to 20,000 and around 8-10 dogs are being sterilised in Mohali on daily basis,” he added.

The process to set up a shelter in Lalru too has been hanging fire for a long time.

Despite areas like Zirakpur, Baltana, Lohgarh, Aerocity and Kharar logging dog bite cases in double digits daily, not a single meeting of the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has been held in more than six months either.

Need to ramp up sterilisation

Around 8-10 dogs are being sterilised in Mohali on a daily basis, according to MC Medical Officer of Health Sanjeev Kamboj. Experts, however, say it takes around two-third of population to be sterilised within a period of 12 months to see tangible results.

Population figure needs update

Municipal Corporation officials said the population of stray dogs in Mohali is estimated to be between 18,000 and 20,000. However, a fresh census is yet to be conducted.

High Court directions on compensation

On Nov 13, 2023, the High Court directed that the state government shall be responsible for paying compensation to dog-bite victims. It mandated that the minimum financial assistance would be Rs 10,000 per tooth mark. The court asked the governments to set up committees headed by the DCs to determine the compensation.

Implement SC order in Chd: Mayor

Chandigarh: At a time when the Municipal Corporation (MC) is struggling to control the population of stray dogs, the recent Supreme Court order on the menace in Delhi has given residents hope of a positive change in Chandigarh as well. Mayor Harpreet Kaur Babla said she has directed officers to seek legal opinion on how the order can be implemented in Chandigarh as well. Babla said the civic body would take all steps required to implement the order in Chandigarh as well, given that the city is also facing problems with strays. Ajay Jagga, advocate and member of the UT Administrator’s advisory council, in a letter written to Chief Secretary Rajeev Verma has requested for implementation of the SC orders in Chandigarh.

No takers for sterilisation work

The tenure of the agency hired for the carrying out sterilisation ended a few months ago. Presently, the MC is undertaking the task on its own. Of the total stray dogs, close to 8,500 have been sterilised and vaccinated against rabies. MC officials added that a tender calling for sterilisation work was floated twice but no takers came forward.

9,000 stray caninesin city beautiful

The population of strays has been on the rise in the City Beautiful. On an average, from 50 to 60 dog bite cases are recorded every day at dispensaries and general hospitals of the city. According to the officials of the Municipal Corporation, there are approximately 9,000 stray

dogs in the city.

(inputs by Ramkrishan Upadhyay)