84 dog bite cases in a month at Muktsar

Admn to resume sterilisation drive from Sept 10

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BQ:

Measures being taken

I recently held a meeting with the officials concerned and asked them to undertake dog birth-control measures. Besides, I have asked the officials of the Health Department to give immediate treatment to dog bite victims.” MK Aravind Kumar, deputy commissioner, muktsar

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Muktsar, September 10

Dog bite cases have become a major cause for concern for residents in Muktsar town and some nearby villages. In all, 84 cases of dog bites were reported in July this year. Of these, 53 were reported in Muktsar town.

The total number of cases involving pet dogs is 50. As per an analysis of various departments, the situation is the worst in Kotli Road and Maur Road areas in the town, where four cases each were reported in July. Similarly, in Chauntra village too, repeated cases of dog bites are being reported.

To tackle the problem, the district administration has planned sterilisation of dogs from September 10. “By April-end, we had sterilised 464 dogs, but the drive was suspended due to hot weather and crop harvesting season. As per a survey, the town has nearly 3,000 stray dogs. Now, the sterilisation drive will resume from September 10,” said Bipan Kumar, Executive Officer, Municipal Council, Muktsar.

Similarly, 289 dogs in the rural areas were sterilised till April this year. “A sterilisation centre is now being set up in Bura Gujjar village. The village panchayat land has been found fit for the purpose,” said a senior official in the district administration.

MK Aravind Kumar, Deputy Commissioner, Muktsar, said, “I recently held a meeting with the officials concerned and asked them to undertake dog birth-control measures. I have also asked officials of the Health Department to give immediate treatment to dog bite victims.”

In the past few years, some people have even lost their lives due to dog bites. A bureaucrat’s wife was also mauled by stray dogs last year.