PMC blames it on street food joints for rising incidents.
The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) health department statistics reveal that 35 people get bitten by stray dogs on a daily basis in Pune. With the stray dog population now touching close to over 40,000, civic officials admit that dog bite cases have seen a steady increase over the years.
The civic administration attributes the increase in cases to easy availability of food for canines from the increasing number of street food joints and restaurants.
Civic body’s dog catching squad incharge Vijay Ovhal said, “It has been noticed that the maximum number of dog bite cases are reported from those areas having slums, open dumping of garbage, restaurants that are open till late night or street food stalls that dump their wares in the open.”
After sterilisation of stray dogs, it is usually new mothers or unsterilised dogs that are responsible for maximum cases, PMC’s deputy medical officer of health, Dr Anjali Sabne, said, adding that the focus is on increasing sterilisation numbers.
“Last year, we acquired extra vans for dog catching squad increasing it to six from two vans. Three more agencies were appointed for sterilisation and public complaints were decentralised to four zones. These measures have helped in bringing down the number of complaints and increasing the sterilisation figures.
As compared to the earlier figure when only 8,000-9,000 dogs of 40,000-odd dog population used to get sterilised yearly bringing it down to about 25 dogs per day, the number now stands at 75 sterilisations daily. PMC has even allocated Rs1 crore in 2013-2014 budget for two more dog pounds where dogs are kept under sterilisation for three days before they are let out,” she said.
Another positive news is that the number of rabies cases has gone down significantly over the years due to the sterilisation efforts.
As compared to 56 rabies cases in 1997, the figure has come down to nearly zero over the past couple of years.
On the main complaint from citizens, Sabne said, “According to rules, we have to leave the dogs after sterilisation back into the same area from where they were picked up. This leads to fights as people don’t want them but rules are such we are helpless.”
Dr Suhas Bhokre, vet and volunteer at Society for Protection against Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), said that OPD clinic sees many cases of dog bite from Kondhwa and Bhawani Peth areas.
“While it is true that the PMC has the biggest responsibility in stopping the dog bite menace, it is also true that citizens need to carry out their responsibility. Don’t leave garbage uncovered as this attracts stray dogs and easy availability of food means even their population is increasing day by day. It is true that fertility of dog in urban areas where food is easily available is much higher than dogs in rural pockets or semi-urban areas.
Here dogs give up to eight babies at a time and hence even their population is increasing due to easy availability of food,” he said.
Bhokre also advised that in case of dog bite, one must treat the local wound by washing it under tap water with soap, preferably for at least five minutes to reduce the chances of developing rabies infection followed by a doctor’s visit at the earliest.
Complain of strays to
9689931964 for zone I areas (Karvenagar, Warje, Aundh, Ghole Road)
9689931929 for zone II areas (Yerawada, Ahmednagar Road, Sangamwadi, Dhole Patil Road)
9689931363 for zone III areas (Kasba, Vishrambaug, Tilak Road, Bhawani Peth, Sahakarnagar)
9689931966 for zone IV areas (Bibwewadi, Hadapsar, Dhankavdi, Kondhwa, Wanowrie)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}