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Ludhiana Municipal Corporation’s sterilisation drive fails to curb rising dog bite cases

Hopes pinned on Census of stray canines to formulate programmes
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The Ludhiana MC claims to have sterilised 1.50 lakh stray dogs in the past 10 years. Inderjeet Verma
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Dog bite cases in Ludhiana are on the rise. The Municipal Corporation’s sterilisation drive seems to be a toothless tiger as cases continue to be reported in a large number.

In 2024, the district witnessed 28,390 cases, which was highest in the state. Of these, 13,488 were from the city and remaining from peripheral areas. Figures reveal that around same number of cases are being reported from urban and rural belts. Hence, there is not much difference between urban and rural areas in this regard.

Recently two children lost their lives within a week in Hasanpur village, near here due to stray dog attacks.

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After these incidents, the Punjab State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has directed the Local Government and Rural Development Departments to conduct a Census of stray dogs in all cities.

Though the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation claims to have sterilised 1.50 lakh stray dogs in the past 10 years, it has failed to bring any relief to the people.

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Meanwhile, the Animal Husbandry Department’s livestock Census is already underway these days. It is conducted countrywide every five years.

A volunteer, who was collecting information regarding the dog population, said the Census proves as a vital tool for collecting data on the livestock population, which further helps in planning, implementation, and monitoring of programmes to improve the livestock sector. Besides, census findings also help the departments concerned in controlling the growing population of stray animals and their relocation.

“The result of the Census will help the corporation in assessment of the population of the stray dogs and they will come to know if the population of canines in certain areas has increased or decreased. Depending upon the data, they can formulate their strategy,” said a volunteer.

On an average, 70-90 cases of dog bites are registered every day at the Civil Hospital. Despite the sterilisation drive in the city, there is no let up in the cases and city residents continue to live under the fear of stray dogs.

Dr Vipul Malhotra from the Ludhiana MC’s veterinary branch said the project for dog sterilisation was on and every canine that was sterilised was also given an anti-rabies vaccine. “The MC is putting in all efforts to control the menace in the city,” he said.

The sterilisation drive was started in 2015 and then in 2021 and nearly 1.50 lakh stray dogs have been sterilised so far.

Though MLA Ashok Prashar had raised the issue of the stray dog menace in the Punjab Assembly and demanded establishment of dog shelters in all four zones of the city, nothing has been done in this regard.

Karan Kawatra, a city resident said in addition to carrying out the sterilisation drive, the government also needs to build dog shelters so that they get food to eat there and did not roam on streets.

Fear of dogs is so much that people avoid going on foot and even those commuting on two-wheelers are not spared by the canines. Many accidents have also been occurring due to them.

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