Srinagar: The J&K High Court has directed the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) to file within a week the status report about the action plan for containing the menace of stray dogs, dog bites and spread of rabies.
Hearing a petition by Centre for Public Interest Litigation and Legal Aid, Chief Justice A M Magray and Justice Puneet Gupta directed the Commissioner SMC to “submit within a week the action plan of the Corporation for containing the menace of stray dogs, particularly the dog bites as also the spread of rabies”.
Petitioners — Mohammad Rafeeq Rather and Mohammad Raza, who are representing the University of Kashmir-based petitioner agency, were present in person before the court. The problem of stray dogs has become a matter of grave concern for the unprivileged citizenry of Kashmir, they have pleaded.
The petitioners said that 90,000 stray dogs are roaming in Srinagar City alone. They also referred to the instances of death of some minor children who were attacked by stray dogs at different places in and around the City.
The court had in July passed some directions to different authorities linked with the matter. It had asked the Commissioner SMC to submit the details of the number of stray dogs in Srinagar city.
He was also supposed to submit the details about the issue of dog birth control and setting up of anti-rabies centers.
The agency, however, failed to respond, prompting the division bench to direct the Commissioner to submit the action plan of the Corporation for containing the menace of stray dogs, and particularly dog bites as also the spread of rabies within a week.
“Commissioner, SMC, shall mention the number of available animal birth control and Anti-rabies Centers and how much sterilization is undertaken on each working day. He shall also submit the action plan about the setting up of animal birth control and Anti-rabies Centres”, directed the court.
The Commissioner was also asked to ensure that the energy-rich garbage is controlled, which is mainly contributed by the poultry waste.
He was further directed to indicate in the status report as to whether public advisories have been issued in print and electronic media, indicating the dos and don’ts to avoid dog bites.
The court had directed the Principal Secretary, Health and Medical Education Department, to file an affidavit, indicating the availability of anti-rabies vaccines and human rabies immunoglobulin injections in all the dispensaries and hospitals throughout the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
Respondent authorities had been directed to point out the steps taken for dealing with the complaints filed by the various persons, social activists or victims about the dog bites.
An affidavit was filed today by the department which informed about the availability of anti-rabies vaccines and human rabies immunoglobulin Injection in the dispensaries and hospitals of the Union Territory.
