Sterilization of dogs won’t help, culling will
Kashmir has been facing a serious threat from the stray dog menace and more so the situation is turning worse with every passing day. Reports’ pouring from various surveys point out that Srinagar city alone has a population of more than 30,000 stray dogs.
The dog menace has resulted in several issues which should have come to the mind on the administration way back. But it seems that the issue does not bother them as the problem is mainly confined to old city and semi-urban areas.
As per a report there have been around 6000 cases of dog bites in last one year. Despite tall claims by the Government authorities and Srinagar Municipal Corporation, the population of stray dogs in the city is only increasing in leaps and bounds.
The problem of increasing stray dog population has hit the capital city as the administration has failed to put in place all those measures that could have provided to keep a check on their growing numbers.
Though worldwide various countries are taking various approaches to control the menace. Key among them are sheltering, killing and sterilization of stray dogs, but unfortunately the administration here has failed on all the counts.
Though, SMC did announce a major sterilization program some years back but the output has been very dismal. This has proven that resorting to a single approach to curtail the canine numbers is not going to achieve us the desired results.
Just yesterday the admin announced to increase the sterilization ration from 10 to 100 dogs per day within two months in Srinagar city, but is the measure sufficient enough to get their increasing numbers under control.
The increased canine numbers has resulted in various problems that are going unnoticed. One such issue is the excreta that this ever increased populace of dogs is strewing the roads and lanes in every nook and corner of the state with.
This issue is so grave that most of the people living in various areas have resorted to various means like hanging coloured water bottles on their gates and walls to avoid the dogs from excreting near their premises. Though, the measure is unlikely to work but the people are at least trying to act rather than acting as mute spectators as the admin is doing right now.
Besides, during the night hours the dogs get so hyperactive that in most of the area’s residents complain that they hardly get to sleep in peace due to the continuous barking of the dogs during the entire night. The small children and the elderly who are ill feel tormented by such nuisance day in and day out.
The dog menace is also creating unhealthy environs for the citizens here. The garbage which is usually littered around in most areas is being spread by the canines thus increasing the risk of infections all around.
This being just the tip of the iceberg, the authorities’ need to go in a huddle and help some sanity to prevail and make the schemes like the smart city project and ‘Swatch Bharat’ look rationale. Otherwise, the entire place will look like a ‘dog inhabited’ and damned place that will no longer be fit for humans to dwell into.
KV Network
