Stray dogs menace takes toll

The years have elapsed since the government has been claiming to have made efforts to reduce the number of stray dogs. However, the number continues to mount in the result of which the stray dogs have unleashed terror on the roads, streets, lanes and bi-lanes of Srinagar, causing inconvenience to the people. Such is the situation that the people don’t even bother to come out of their homes in the morning and evening hours to offer prayers at the Masjid. The Friday’s incident at Buchwara area of Dalgate in Srinagar is a clear example of terror unleashed by these street dogs where at least 39 persons including 17 tourists were bitten by a pack of stray dogs. Such an incident has put a question mark over the recent claims made by the incumbent City Mayor, Junaid Azim Mattu, who announced a major project to carry out sterilisation of 200 dogs in a day. The City Mayor had stated that two modern sterilisation facilities at Shuhama and Tengpora will be created and by the end of six to eight months, the corporation will be able to sterilise 70 to 80 percent of the dog population in Srinagar. One fails to understand what measures are being taken to act against the rising number of stray dogs here as according to the locals, they are facing tremendous hardships and the situation in their localities is worsening with each passing day. In a bid to provide a sigh of relief among the locals, the corporation must speed up its action and ensure that the 100 per cent sterilization of dogs is achieved at an earliest. There is also a need to put an end to the Dalgate like incidents so that a possible tragedy due to the presence of stray dogs is averted well on time.