Fear lurks in packs: Attacks by dogs have residents worried in southwest Delhi

NEW DELHI: The parents of 14-year-old Sirajuddin are ragpickers. For around two weeks, however, the mother hasn’t gone out to work. She stays home to look after her two kids. On April 19, Sirajuddin was mauled by dogs and hasn’t yet overcome the trauma.
The several dog attacks on children have left the residents of Rangpuri Pahadi in southwest Delhi concerned and anxious.
Many of the households in Rangpuri depend on ragpicking for a living. In a wooded area near their shanties, stray dogs roam freely. On Wednesday, on a visit to the area, TOI saw street dogs on the lanes and around the rubbish heaps.
Seven-year-old Abhilasha was the subject of a canine attack there on April 27. On Wednesday, she was playing with her sibling with their mother, Baby Kumari, keeping a wary eye on them. "My daughter had gone out to buy snacks when she was bitten on her back by the dogs. Some people nearby rescued her," said Kumari.
The most tragic incidents took place in March when two brothers, aged 7 and 5, were both believed to have been killed by the feral dogs on separate days in nearby Sindhi Basti. Doctors performing the autopsy said that the provisional cause of the boys’ deaths was "shock and haemorrhaging as a result of multiple injuries to the head, neck, vessels, cervical spine and body caused by canine bite injuries". The cops are awaiting the final report. The children’s mother, Sushma, was so distressed that she sent her third child to her mother’s house in UP.
Most residents of Rangpuri Pahadi believe the dogs congregate in the area because of the availability of food. "The meat shops in the neighbourhood throw the leftovers here and that's why so many dogs roam in the area,” claimed Bittu Kumar. “We have to carry stones with us to fend for ourselves against the dogs, which sometimes are very aggressive.” While confirming that the remnants thrown by the meat sellers was the main cause of the problem, Hasina revealed, "We generally don't go out of our houses at night because we fear the dogs will attack us."
In Sindhi Basti too, resident Rakesh Kumar reported a rise in the stray population. "I have a five-year-old son. I keep my doors locked and don't allow him to go out alone," said Kumar.
Manoj C, DCP (South-West), said that after each case of dog bite, police wrote to the municipal corporation to take necessary action. But this hasn’t achieved much or assured the local people. Sanju, a resident of Sindhi Basti since 2004, said, "My children grew up without ever facing the danger of dog attacks. Following the killing of the two boys, I avoid going near the area where their bodies were found. If I have to, I carry a big stick with me to protect myself.”