With the advent of summer months, Haldwani is in the grip of dog menace again. Twenty-six people, all victims of dog bite, had to take anti-rabies injection at Base Hospital in Haldwani municipal corporation on Saturday.
Last year, the Haldwani municipal corporation had conducted a drive to administer anti rabies injections to street dogs. It has been estimated that there are more than 2,500 street dogs in Haldwani and the state government had earmarked a sum of ₹70 lakh for dog sterilisation facility but a suitable place has not been chosen till now.
Outgoing Haldwani mayor Jogendra Pal Singh Rautela said that ₹25 lakh had been received by the municipal corporation for dog sterilisation but the project is stuck up in paperwork. “There are some issues related to the agency that would carry out the sterilisation work and the modalities have not yet been finalised,” he said.
Last year, a 7-year-old girl tourist, Amatula, from Rajasthan, had jumped into a gorge to save herself from canine mobs in Nainital city leading to her death. This led to a hue and cry in Nainital and Haldwani and people demanded the dog population be controlled. Following this uproar, the administration of Haldwani merely conducted a small drive to administer anti rabies injections to a handful of dogs.
Resident of Kusum Kheda, Ramesh Joshi, a victim of dog bite, said that the administration did not care for people and the animal rights activists were silent over the plight. “We demand the administration to take necessary steps for controlling dog population,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Resident of Kusum Kheda, Ramesh Joshi, a victim of dog bite, said that the administration did not care for people and the animal rights activists were silent over the plight. “We demand the administration to take necessary steps for controlling dog population,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Till now 850 dogs have been sterilized in neighbouring Nainital city.