With an alarming rise in dog bite cases and accidents involving canines, stray dog menace has become a major concern in many parts of Kollam.
Since stray packs rule several bylanes and roads in the city, pedestrians and two-wheeler riders are scared to venture out after evening.
Two persons recently died in a road accident caused by strays. Many incidents have been reported from places, including Kottarakara and Klappana. Many joggers and cyclists say they are unable to continue their routine as ferocious dogs keep following and barking at them.
People wary
“After the second lockdown there has been an increase in the number of strays. If large packs were earlier seen in areas such as Asramam only, they are everywhere now. Apart from posing a threat to pedestrians, they are making life difficult for senior citizens and children. These days we are scared to step out or go to any new place,” says S.Sudharma, a health worker.
Aggressive packs take over the roads in rural areas during night, making it unsafe for two-wheeler riders. “Passing through some parts of Pathanapuram after 8 p.m. is a nightmare. I was chased several times by barking dogs and there have been many accidents. Officials are ignoring this issue and stray population is swelling day by day,” says Kishor Nair, a bank employee.
The failure in implementing the Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme has been cited as the main reason behind the problem. Though the district panchayat revived the programme in 2020 December, it once again came to a standstill in March.
Since the Kollam Corporation took no steps to address the issue, a pack of aggressive dogs were captured and sterilised by the district panchayat as an emergency step in December. Officials say such measures cannot be continued as it will lead to audit issues.
Issue in Corporation
“You cannot spend the panchayat funds in corporation area. The Kollam Corporation is yet to find space for ABC centres and the flawed implementation of the programme will do no good,” says an official with the Animal Husbandry Department. He says since strays do not need much time to multiply, immediate intervention is needed.
“Among other things, limited human presence on streets during the lockdown and huge quantities of waste and leftovers being thrown out in public due to the ban on dine-in can be one reason for their presence in all parts,” he says.
