Stray menace turns daily life into a peril in Nurpur

The residents of Nurpur town and nearby rural areas are battling a growing crisis — a surge in stray dogs, abandoned cattle and monkey attacks that has made daily life unsafe, especially for children, women and the elderly. With no concrete policy from the state government, what once were routine walks to school, markets or fields have now become daily risks.

Over the past few years, the population of stray dogs and unproductive cattle has ballooned. Dog-bite cases have skyrocketed and attacks by abandoned bulls have become frighteningly common. Areas such as Chogan market near the main bus stand, and the Bodh-Jachh stretch on the Pathankot-Mandi National Highway (NH-154), have turned into danger zones.

At night, cows and bulls without radium reflector belts can be seen sitting or wandering on highways and district roads, turning the route into a death trap for motorists, particularly two-wheeler riders. Several accidents, some fatal, have been reported, yet the administration remains unmoved.

Local organisations have urged the authorities to collaborate with NGOs to tag abandoned cattle with radium reflector belts for visibility and safety. They have also demanded strict action against livestock owners who release unproductive animals onto roads, violating the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.

What has particularly angered residents is the state’s failure to use the Rs 10 ‘cow cess’ collected on every bottle of liquor, a levy that brings in over Rs 100 crore annually, for stray animal rehabilitation. The funds, they say, remain unutilised while the menace grows unchecked.

The situation is equally grim for farmers in the region. Rampaging cattle and monkeys are devastating crops, forcing many to abandon maize and other cereals altogether. What was once a source of livelihood is now turning into a burden.

The urban landscape isn’t spared either. Packs of stray dogs and groups of monkeys roam freely in markets and residential areas, leaving citizens anxious and confined indoors. “It has become dangerous even to step outside,” lamented Praveen Sangalia and Sushma, local residents. Others like Vishal, Praveen Mahajan and Priya said the menace had “turned daily life into a nightmare”.

Residents have appealed to the state government to direct civic bodies, forest officials and the animal husbandry department to jointly tackle this spiralling crisis — before fear replaces freedom completely in Nurpur’s streets.