In six months, over 3,000 residents bitten by dogs in Ludhiana

The death of 11-year-old Arjun on Sunday was no isolated incident, on June 3; in 2009 and 2010, Himmat Singh Grewal, a dog lover, had initiated a sterilisation project; however, the project ended mid-way after Grewal accused the civic body officials of harassment

Letting sleeping dogs lie is doing no good as despite a slew of initiatives to keep the dog population in check, as many as 3,075 residents have been on the receiving end of a dog bite in six months.

In 2009 and 2010, Himmat Singh Grewal, a dog lover, had initiated a sterilisation project. (HT Photo)

As per civil hospital data, 894 cases were reported in January, 800 in February, 336 in March, 315 in April, 245 in May and 485 in June. Data for July had not been compiled so far.

The death of 11-year-old Arjun on Sunday was no isolated incident, on June 3, 15-year-old Neha of Krishan Nagar near Ghumar Mandi, had narrowly escaped death after she was attacked by a pack of dogs. She had received multiple dog bite injuries, primarily on her arms, chest, and back. Two passersby saved her from the vicious attack . She had also sustained a serious head injury from falling on the street.

₹4 crore spent on sterilisation so far

In 2009 and 2010, Himmat Singh Grewal, a dog lover, had initiated a sterilisation project. However, the project ended mid-way after Grewal accused the civic body officials of harassment. The project resumed in February 2015 after the civic body hired a private company to sterilise dogs and paid it ₹760 per dog. The company’s contract was renewed in January 2019 and the fee was revised to ₹990 per dog. As per the officials, around 50,000 dogs have been sterilised in the city so far at a cost of ₹4 crore. However, the dog population continues to rise.

Sterilise females: GADVASU VC

As per Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University ( GADVASU) vice-chancellor Dr Inderjeet Singh, authorities should sterilise female dogs for better results. Any interruption or any break in the sterilisation project can jeopardise the exercise as the dog population multiplies rapidly.

Municipal corporation veterinary officer Dr Harbans Dalla said 40 dogs are being vaccinated in the city each day and the number of sterilisations will increase from next month. “There are around 25,000 stray dogs inside the MC limits, while around 2,000 dogs have been registered as pets with the MC.