7000 injured by stray dogs in Haridwar in last 6 months; resident writes to PM, President for help

From October 5 to 24, 700 people were injured in stray dog attacks and the figure of victims is 7,000 from April to September. A resident of Haridwar said guests are afraid to visit households in the area while children refrain from playing outside.

Haridwar (Uttarakhand): Stray dogs have injured over 700 people in a span of 20 days in Haridwar. The figure will cross 1000 if incidents recorded in Roorkee, Laksar, Bahadurabad, Jwalapur and surrounding areas are taken into account. In the last six months, a total of 7,000 people were injured due to dog bites in Haridwar.

In view of the seriousness of the situation, a resident of Haridwar has sought help from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Droupadi Murmu to save the city from the menace. Lalit Sharma has written a letter to PM Modi and the President saying that despite complaining to the Municipal Corporation several times no action has been taken.

Sharma wrote that people of the area is troubled by these dogs and the situation has gone to such an extent that guests and relatives have stopped visiting households in Haridwar. Even children are afraid to play outside, Sharma said.

According to experts incidents of dog bites increases during the rainy season and post-monsoons since dogs suffer from diseases like itching and fungal infection. Thus they become ferocious and tend to vent out their anger through bites, experts added.

Doctors said around 30 to 40 people come to the government hospital in Haridwar with stray dog bites every day. Dr Vikasdeep of the district hospital said there is a steady rise in the number of people getting bitten by dogs "We try to administer injections immediately. From October 5 to October 24, more than 700 people came to the district hospital for treatment after getting bitten by dogs. If we take the count of six months from April to September, then the figure of dog bite injuries would go up to 7,000. The Haridwar city is in terror of stray dogs. Both tourists and locals are being attacked by dogs every day," he said.

Haridwar Municipal Corporation Mayor Anita Sharma told ETV Bharat said that the issue of stray dogs attacking people has come to her notice. "We are continuously catching these dogs and keeping them in the centre. Some are being sterilised while those who are more dangerous are being kept locked inside," Sharma said.

The mayor said that along with stray dogs, pet cows and monkeys are also becoming a threat to the residents.