Srinagar municipal body to kill 2 lakh stray dogs

TO BE KILLED? Srinagar Municipal Corporation attempts to poison the dogs to prevent rabies from spreading.

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Srinagar: Every six people have one dog in Srinagar, according to the city’s municipal corporation.

And there are two lakh stray dogs in all in the city---outside hospitals, schools, graveyards and parks.

But if the corporation has its way, every one of the dogs will be killed which means they will be poisoned to prevent rabies from spreading.

“Under the dog eradication programme we are going to poison two lakh dogs in Srinagar. It will take years together and we will try to eradicate as much as we can,” says health officer, Srinagar Municipal Corporation, Dr Riyaz Ahmad.

An anti-rabies clinic at Srinagar's SMHS hospital sees around 3,500 dog bites every year.

Authorities here are convinced that tough measures need to be taken.

“It is a very fatal disease and people who get bitten by a rabid dog eventually get killed. Globally more than 55,000 persons die every year due to rabies, out of which 31000 die in the subcontinent alone.

The municipal corporation has already bought Rs 20 lakh worth of drugs to poison the dogs.

Animal rights activists, including Maneka Gandhi, say other options are being ignored, but the corporation seems determined to keep its word.

On an average, a hospital sees more than 30-40 cases of dog bites every day.

The medical fraternity here is firm saying dogs should be killed but animal lovers believe castration of the canines will help check the disease.