Stray dog menace haunts citizens in Rjy

Rajamahendravaram: The stray dog menace is increasing in the city with each passing day and the dogs are creating panic among the people mainly pedestrians in the city.

As the dogs are moving in groups on the roads the people are not daring to walk lonely. Despite repeated complaints by the citizens, the civic body is adopting a callous approach in addressing the menace.

At present there are about 12,000 dogs moving in the city, according to corporation officials. The dogs are chasing the bike riders mainly in the night time resulting in accidents.

Though the number of dog bites is less, parents are not allowing their children to move on the roads mainly on side lanes.

The dog menace is very high in Sitampeta, Krishna Nagar, Lalitha Nagar, Veerabhadrapuram, Danavaipeta, Gandhinagar, Innispeta, Alcot Gardens

Balajipeta, Mallaiahpeta, Sriram Nagar, Aryapuram, Jayakrishnapuram, Venkateswara Nagar, Lakshmivarapupeta, Gandhi Nagar, near some educational institutions and prayer halls and at Devi Chowk, Ganesh Chowk and at Azad Chowk where meat, chicken and fish markets located. There has been increase in stray dogs at PushskarGhat, Kotilingala Ghat and on Godavari Bund where thousands of pilgrims are seen regularly.

A resident of Sitampeta, V Subramanyam, who was a victim of a dog bite said the corporation miserably failed to eradicate dog menace in the city. He opined that the officials would know about the intensity of the problem only when the Municipal Commissioner and other officials walk on the roads in the night time. Nearly an amount of Rs 4,000 was spent on vaccines, he said.

A housewife, K Rajya Lakshmi of Krishna Nagar, said the dog menace is rampant at Rythu Bazaars and also it is not an easy task to go by walk in the

night time. Is it not the duty of corporation officials to put an end to dog menace, she questioned? Speaking to The Hans India, RMC health officer Dr MVR Murthi said that birth control surgeries were performed nearly to 4,000 dogs out of 12,000 dogs.

Daily the corporation is performing surgeries to 25 to 30 dogs under the supervision of two veterinary doctors and plans are afoot to increase the number of surgeries.

Along with four veterinary doctors, four dog capturers were appointed, one vehicle and four kennels were also provided, he said. As per the orders of Animal Welfare Board, the dogs should not be shifted or killed as it is considered as a serious offence and animal lovers are opposing killing of the dogs.

If the corporation shifts the dogs to another place, the vacuum is being filled by other dogs. In Kerala as many as 2.12 lakh dogs were killed at a time but in a short span number of dogs appeared, he recalls.

Hence, the corporation is performing surgeries and leaving them in their respective places. Dogs turn aggressive due to lack of food, high temperature and at the time of mating, the official pointed out.

Dog vaccine stocks are available in corporation clinics as well as in government headquarters hospital.