Karnal: Dog, monkey bite cases double in 5 years

KARNAL: There has been a sharp rise in the incidents of dog and monkey bites in Karnal district, with such cases almost doubling in the past five years, according to the information provided under the RTI Act. While 7,785 cases were received at the Kalpana Chawla Government Medical College and Hospital (KCGMC) in 2014, in 2018 the number rose to 16,775, and 2,544 cases of dog and monkey bite have already been reported this year.
One can find stray dogs in almost all parts of the city, including parks, as the Karnal municipal corporation (KMC) has not been able to control the stray dog population and find ways to prevent monkeys from entering the city.
In response to an RTI application filed by activist Rajesh Sharma, it has been revealed that 72,644 dog and monkey bite cases were received at the KCGMC from 2014 to May 6, 2019. On an average, 25 to 33 dog and monkey bite cases are reported at the KCGMC every day.
Besides the KCGMC, there are three sub-divisional hospitals at Assandh, Nilokheri and Indri and many CHCs, PHCs and private hospitals in the district. Considering all cases reported at these healthcare outlets, the figure may run into lakhs. Residents claim that the KMC has been a mute spectator and not doing enough to contain the problem. They claim to have raised the issue with municipal councillors as well as the officials concerned several times but to no avail. Sharma said that the civic body has been spending a lot of money on stray dog sterilization in the city, though without any results.
Deputy municipal commissioner Dheeraj Kumar said a dog shelter is being constructed by the KMC to deal with the rising number of stray dogs. “We are serious about the problem. We carried out sterilization of stray dogs in the past and the outcome has been very good,” he said.