The stray dog population in the Second Capital has been pegged at 8.11 lakh
Nagpur: Pointing out the gravity of the menace of stray dogs, nearly 58,000 plus persons fell victim to dog bit in the city during six and half years even as their population is enumerated and pegged at 8.11 lakh. Amidst the growing chorus over the need to control the menace of stray dogs, the statistics released by Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) speaks for itself.
Gold Rate
Thursday 09 Jan. 2025
A look at the data collated by NMC revealed that in the year 2019-20 the highest number of dog bites cases were recorded followed by 11,633 incidents in 2018-19. Social activist Abhay Kolarkar had sought information from the civic body under Right to Information (RTI) Act as to incidents of dog bites for six and half years.
During the current year, till October 2022, about 4,723 cases of bites by stray dogs have been reported. In 2016-17, 9,930 cases occurred followed by 9,860 in 2017-18. During the year 2020-21, the year of lockdown, only 2,584 incidents of dog bites occurred and 6806 in the year 2021-22. As to provision of anti-rabies injection, a maximum 32,082 were administered in 2016-17; 28,300 were administered during the year 2017-18 and thereafter 28,279 in 2019- 20 and 23,278 in 2018-19. Just 6,838 injections were provided in 2020-21 and 19,098 in 2020-21 and 13,483 in 2021-22.
During the six and half years’ period, NMC also provided data about incidents of biting by pet dogs and there were 735. The highest 203 was reported in the year 2022, 106 in 2017-19, 135 in 2020-21 and 87 in 2018-19. As to sterilisation, the record of NMC is quite poor and only in 2017-18 about 31 male and 36 female dogs were sterilised at Veterinary Hospital, Seminary Hills, while the Vets for Animal, Satara, sterilised 4460 male and 3841 dogs in year 2019-20.
For the sterilisation programme, NMC has incurred expenditure of Rs 66.22 lakh. Revealing the method adopted for survey of stray dogs, NMC said areas were divided in 10 zones and in Prabhags. On an average 2136.5 dogs were found per Prabhag, it consists of four wards. The survey further revealed that on an average 159.18 male roaming adults were neutered and 804.55 females. Also, 364.29 non-lactating female adults, 270.07 lactating female adults and 105.92 sterilisations were marked on an average in 38 Prabhags.
The survey, NMC said, was conducted for 4.5 to 5 months from June to October 2017. The surveying team consisted of six surveyors, one supervisor and a Veterinarian. The team fanned out twice in a day, one from 6 to 11 am and another one from 4 to 6 pm. The Zones were mapped and marked and paths were followed using the Mission Rabies App (MRApp).
