In a move that can help check the uncontrollably increasing number of dogs in Srinagar City, the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) has decided to double the efforts in the Srinagar district. The new sterilization centers are to commence operations in the city in coming months. SMC in a press release suggests that the current rate of sterilizing 70-100 dogs will soon be doubled. Last year incidentally 5,000 dogs underwent sterilization. As news that is music to ears this number is most likely to double this year.
It must be noted that to keep a check on the rise of canine attacks in Srinagar, the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) had partnered with a Rajasthan-based agency to carry out sterilization of dogs and control their population in the city. The SMC conducted a dog census a decade ago, with approximately 90,000 dogs present until 2011. This number, however, most experts agree, is bound to have doubled by now. Some years ago, SMC had started work on a major dog sterilization facility at Tengpora Srinagar under the Animal Birth Control Anti-Rabies project but the project is yet to be completed in all its essence.
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The commissioner of SMC seems serious in this endeavor. This is important for the valley of Kashmir in general which receives more than 10000 dog bite cases every year majority of which occur in Srinagar city. In localities like Jawahar Nagar, Rambagh road, Shalteng etc. dogs take over literally after sunset. At a particular spot in Jawahar Nagar, hundreds of dogs are ever present during evening hours earning it many meme festivals on social media networks. One wonders if a passerby on foot will become a meal someday, after all what we human beings, a huge piece of meat walking on two legs for carnivorous animals.
Sterilization is an important method to keep the dog population in check. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has already expressed his vision to develop Srinagar city into a smart city and to that end it is all the more important that we keep the population of dogs in check.
The SMC commissioner is serious about the pressing issue of curbing the rising canine population but we hope he walks his talk and walks it soon.
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