With the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) failing to take measures for checking population of stray dogs, several persons were attacked and injured by the canines at Zadibal locality in Downtown here.

Locals said a boy was attacked by a pack of dogs at New Colony Zadibal. “The boy received injuries and was rescued from clutches of canines by some pedestrians,” they said. The child was shifted to hospital for treatment.

Muhammad Maqbool Baba, a local said that in past three days, around seven persons, mostly women and children were attacked by canines.

“We have informed SMC officials in this regard. However, they are making us to run from pillar to post, and doing nothing on ground,” he said.

Locals expressed resentment against SMC for failing to control dog menace.

“This is not first incident in our locality. Such incidents often occur here. Recently, an aged person was attacked by canines and he received serious injuries,” they said.

In 2009, the ARC has recorded two deaths in three months, including of a four-year-old Hanan Iqbal. Similarly in 2008, two deaths took place, including of 12-year-old Sabzar Ahmad and a CRPF personnel. Two deaths were recorded in 2010 and 2011 as well, reveals official data.

In 2010, a six-year old boy from Achabal Anantnag died due to rabies. Also a 65-year-old woman, Khati, from the district also died due to rabies.

In 2011, a boy named Omar drowned in river Jhelum when a group of dogs chased him near Zaina Kadal here. According to officials, nearly half of the cases of dog bites happen to be the Class III bites—where the victim has one or further bites, scratches, licks on broken skin, or extra contact that breaks the skin.

The erstwhile State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) on September 25, 2013 had taken strong note of killing of an infant by stray dogs at Habak and directed the authorities to take measures to check the canine menace.

A World Health Organization (WHO) sponsored national multi-centric rabies survey (2006) says on an average human-dog ratio in the country stands at 1:36. A dog starts reproducing at the age of two and gives birth to several puppies at one time.

In six years, Srinagar has recorded 30,711 dog bite cases. Of these 7,000 cases were registered in 2012-13, followed by 6,041 cases in 2013-14, 4,917 cases in 2014-15, 5,100 cases in 2015-16, 5,120 cases in 2016-17 and 2,533 cases in 2017-18.

People are of the opinion that authorities have failed to curb the ever-growing population of stray dogs, the canines pose serious threat to people in Srinagar.

People are up in arms against the authorities for sitting over sterilization of the stray dogs—which has over the years resulted in manifold increase in population of the canines.

SMC Commissioner Gaznaffar Ali said he will look into the matter.