Dogs on prowl in Panipat, 45 need vaccination daily

Mukesh Tandon

Panipat, June 21

The Panipat Municipal Corporation (MC) has failed to curb the rising population of stray canines in the ‘Textile City’. As many as 900 dog-bite victims, on an average, reach the Civil Hospital in a month to get anti-rabies vaccines.

The population of canines is on the rise in the city due to the lack of an effective sterilisation campaign, which is the responsibility of the civic body. As per the available data, as many as 15,080 dog-bite cases were reported in the district in 2023.

This year, as many as 7,444 dog-bite cases have been reported in the district, with victims reaching government health facilities to get treatment. In January, as many as 1,454 dog-bite cases reported, while the number of such case in February was 1,623 and in March, the number was 1,282. In April, the number of dog-bite cases was 1,272 and 1,336 in May.

But, the maximum cases have been reported in the city. According to the data, of the total 15,080 dog-bite victims, 9,088 reached the Civil Hospital of Panipat to get the anti-rabies vaccine in 2023. This year, the figure is 5,432.

According to the data, as many as 890 victim reached the Civil Hospital in January, while in February, the figure was 917. As many 944 patients reached the hospital for treatment in March. In April, the number was 849 and 904 in May. In June, 928 dog-bite victims have reached the Civil Hospital so far to get the anti-rabies vaccine.

Packs of dogs can be seen everywhere in the city as well as in Samalkha town and rural areas. The civic body does not have any official figure of the population of stray dogs, but it is assumed that over 40,000 dogs roam city roads and streets under the MC jurisdiction.

“It is a total failure of the MC. It is the sole responsibility of the civic body to launch a specific and targeted sterilisation programme to control the population of dogs in the city,” said Rachit Jagga, a resident of Model Town.

As per sources, the MC had launched a sterilisation campaign in 2020, but it ended around two years ago.

At that time, the civic body had claimed that 7,000 dogs were sterilised and it paid nearly Rs 49 lakh, which is Rs 700 per dog, for the sterilisation campaign to the private agency, which had carried out the drive, the sources in the MC said. But, for the past two years, efforts have not been made for the sterilisation campaign.

Deputy Civil Surgeon Dr Sunil Sanduja, who is also the nodal officer, said it is an alarming situation that the dog-bites cases are on the rise in the district.

The cases are increasing due to the rising number of canines, he added.

On an average, 45 victims reach government health facilities daily to get anti-rabies vaccines, he said.

The MC should launch a special sterilisation drive to curb the population of dogs in the city, Dr Sanduja said.