Sterilisation halted: Panchkula grapples with rising stray dog menace
Residents of Panchkula are increasingly carrying sticks for protection during their morning and evening walks, a direct consequence of a surging stray dog population and a two-month halt in sterilisation efforts.
As per the livestock Census-2019, there were 2,340 dogs in Panchkula. An MC official informed, no new survey was conducted recently.
The municipal corporation (MC) acknowledged the stalled sterilization drive, stating that a new tender is currently undergoing technical scrutiny and will be allotted soon. Meanwhile, daily dog bite cases at civil hospital, Sector-6, range from 12 to 15.
Mayor Kulbhushan Goyal said 300 to 400 dog bite cases are reported every month.
Despite a November 2023 directive from the Punjab and Haryana high court mandating compensation for dog bite victims (minimum ₹10,000 per tooth mark and ₹20,000 per 0.2 cm wound where flesh is torn), the district administration currently lacks a clear policy or dedicated funds for such compensation. Sources indicate the local administration has sought guidance from the chief secretary on policy formulation. While applications for compensation are being considered, it remains undecided whether the policy will cover victims retrospectively.
Goyal added that the MC is prepared to provide compensation but is unable to do so without a decision from higher authorities.
However, the state government's Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Antyodaya Parivar Suraksha Yojana (DAYALU) scheme does offer financial assistance to families who have suffered accidental death or permanent disability due to stray animals, including dog bites. However, this scheme covers only those families with an annual income below ₹1.80 lakh.
A health officer from the MC informed that around 2,000 dogs were sterilised last year at the Sukhdarshanpur village centre. The Animal Birth Control (ABC) and Anti-Rabies Vaccination (ARV) programmes, costing ₹1,500 per dog for sterilisation, are outsourced to firms responsible for catching and releasing the dogs at the same location post-procedure.
Experts suggest that public affection and feeding of street dogs inadvertently contribute to their increased numbers as they tend to settle and multiply in those areas. Colonel SK Datta (retired), RWA president of Sector 12, emphasised the difficulty for residents to use parks and even roads due to the escalating stray dog presence, making carrying a stick a 'necessary' precaution.
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