Stray dogs on prowl, population continues to rise across Srinagar

Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) has miserably failed to control the growing dog population in Srinagar city. The local population had hoped that the Corporation will do something in this regard but the presence of these stray dogs in every nook and cranny has been making it difficult for Srinagar residents to venture out.

Insiders told the news agency Kashmir News Trust that there is no proper plan to check the growing dog population and the fact is that no adequate dog sterilization centers are present in Srinagar city.

Pack of stray dogs can be seen roaming on Srinagar roads. People especially kids are scared of coming out of their houses during evening hours in Jawahar Nagar, Batamaloo, Sonwara, Noor Bagh, Safakadal, HMT, Aloochi Bagh, Hyderpora, Khayam chowk, Khanyar, Nowhatta, Regal Chowk,Hawal and other areas.

Multiple incidents of dog bites have been reported in Srinagar city. In some case, these dog bites proved fatal. Srinagar locals said that the risk of dog attacks is on the rise given the growing population of dogs.

Dogs can also be seen roaming in the premises of government offices, health centres and shopping complexes. “You don’t know when dogs will attack you. We are unable to let our children out given the incidents of dog bites,” a local, Muhammad Ashraf from Aloochi Bagh area of Srinagar uptown told the news agency Kashmir News Trust.

Notably, the SMC’s lone center at Shuhama in the Srinagar outskirts is able to carry out sterilization of around 15 dogs per day which is negligible as compared to the population of dogs in the summer capital Srinagar.

Locals appealed to SMC to make all the sterilization centres functional in the interest of people. For the last few years, the hospital records at SMHS Hospital Srinagar show that thousands of people with dog bits have been treated at the hospital.