The Odisha government has admitted in the state assembly that the stray dog menace is at alarming levels in the state. In reply to questions asked in this regard, minister of fisheries and animal husbandry Gokulananda Malik has told the state assembly that in the last 2 years, over 5 lakh dog bite cases have been reported in the state.
Rayagada MLA Kadraka Appalaswamy had sought data about stray dogs, and dog bite cases in the state for the years 2023 and 2024. Replying to the MLA’s query, the minister told the assembly that in the last 2 years, over 5 lakh cases of dog bite have been reported in the state.
'#୫_ଲକ୍ଷ_ଲୋକଙ୍କୁ_କାମୁଡିଛନ୍ତି_କୁକୁର'
— ଓଟିଭି (@otvkhabar) December 4, 2024
ରାଜ୍ୟରେ ବଢୁଛି ବୁଲା କୁକୁରଙ୍କ ଉପଦ୍ରବ । ଗତ ୨ବର୍ଷରେ ୫ଲକ୍ଷରୁ ଅଧିକ ଲୋକଙ୍କୁ କାମୁଡିଛନ୍ତି ବୁଲା କୁକୁର । କେବଳ ଗତ ୧୦ ମାସରେ ୨ଲକ୍ଷ ୪୩ ହଜାର ୫୬୫ ଲୋକ କୁକୁର କାମୁଡ଼ାର ଶିକାର ହୋଇଛନ୍ତି ।#Odisha #Assembly #StrayDog #OTV pic.twitter.com/CH5rbIR7OE
To make matters worse, just in the last 10 months, nearly 2 lakh 47 thousand cases of dog bite have been reported.
The minister added that in 2023 and 2024, the number of dog bites reported are 502672. While in the 2022-23 financial year, only 4605 stray dogs were sterilised in urban areas.
In January and February 2024 alone, Odisha saw 33,547 and 32,561 cases of dog bite, the minister revealed, adding further that since October-November are the breeding months of dogs, the rise in population in January-February causes a sudden spark in dog bite cases.
It is notable here that India sees the world’s highest number of Rabies cases every year. Stray dog menace is not limited to Odisha, but is a consistent problem in every city and town in the country. The preventive measures, already abysmal, meet further resistance from self-proclaimed animal rights activists who feed stray dogs and resist any attempts to make residential areas stray dog free.
