LUCKNOW: A day after stray dogs mauled a five-year-old boy to death and critically injured his three-year-old sister, TOI conducted a reality check on Thursday and found that the menace prevails across the city.
Though fatal incidents like the one on Wednesday are extremely rare, at least 100 victims of dog bites come daily to Balrampur Hospital and other community health centres where anti-rabies shots are administered.
Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) also receives around 75 complaints regarding stray dogs per week.
Experts said LMC’s slow pace of canine sterilisation and lack of initiative to sensitise people are responsible for the menace.
Residents of many areas complained that stray dogs roam in parks, enter houses, sleep under cars and often chase commuters and kids leading to accidents.
“We have to be very careful of stray dogs when our kids go to play in the park as they often chase and bite children,” said Rajendra Prasad of Telibagh.
“I met with an accident last September when dogs chased my two-wheeler and I fell down. Since then, I fear dogs a lot when I return late in the evening and am very apprehensive,” said Rashmi of Aminabad.
“They continue breeding and swell in numbers as a result of which the slow sterilisation campaign seems to be proving ineffective,” claimed Ravi Dubey of Balaganj.
Aman Singh of Gomtinagar said the civic body never responds to complaints and Anil Kumar of Aashiana echoed his views on the civic authority.
When TOI contacted LMC chief veterinary officer AK Rao, he said, “Instructions to set up daily sterilization counts have been issued and all stray dogs in the citywill be sterilised soon.”
