PUNE: The residents of Kalas-Dhanori ward on Ahmednagar Road are forced to live under perpetual fear.With over 20 dog-bite cases reported from the ward in the last one month, people here are scared to even step out of their homes during the night hours. “Packs of stray dogs chasing vehicles has become a common sight here. Many accidents have also occurred due to ever-increasing stray dog population in various pockets of the ward,” Dada Pawar , a resident of Bhairavnagar in Dhanori, told TOI.Around 1 lakh people stay in the Kalas-Dhanori ward. “Till few years ago, there were not many stray dogs here. Their number has increased only in the last three years, which can be attributed to a sizable number of roadside eateries setting up their shop in various parts of Dhanori,” a resident said.The area corporator, Rekha Tingre, said also blamed the mushrooming eateries for the rise in the stray dog population. “There were quite a few stalls of Chinese food along the main Dhanori Road. Recently, we shifted them to Rajmata Jijau Market. These eateries were definitely one of the causes that led to the rise in stray dog population in th is area,” she said.Tingre had recently warned of a sit-in agitation if health officials of Pune Municipal Corporation did not take immediate measures to curb the rising dog population in the ward. “I had submitted a letter to the civic health officials warning of a sit-in agitation on September 1. It was after the letter that the officials swung into action and started sending vehicles for picking up dogs from the area for sterilization,” the corporator added.However, more measures were required to check the rising stray dog menace in the area. “Dogs chase people and their vehicles. A stray dog bit my beighbour’s child 10 days ago and that is one of the many such cases that have occurred here,” Anil Shinde, another resident, said.The problem is even more evident during the late evening and night hours. “Packs of dogs can be seen everywhere. If one is carrying eatables, they start chasing the person,” a woman resident of the area said.When contacted, Anjali Sabne, assistant medical officer of health, PMC, said, “We have already initiated measures to curb dog population in the area. The work is on.”