news details |
|
|
| Wedding season returns canine scare in Valley | | | Sana Altaf
SRINAGAR, Apr 8: While wedding season brings jubilations to the Valley, it also brings with it series of problems. One of the serious repercussions of the big fat wedding celebrations in the Valley is the rise in dog bite cases.
Officials say that the number of dog bite cases in winter is much less than summer season. The cases witness a surge during the marriage season when tons of garbage and food waste is dumped on the streets that become a breeding ground for dogs.
"Once the wedding season sets in, the dog bite incidents increase drastically. This is because we can find people dumping food waste on streets which becomes a blessing for dogs," said Dr Safoora Bilquis, Head of the Department, Community Medicine, SMHS Hospital. From January till April, 925 dog bit cases have been reported at the Anti Rabies Clinic of Srinagar's SMHS Hospital.
During the winter months least cases of dog bites are reported, she adds.
"Right from the month of March the cases increase. Once the marriage season sets in, there is no end to it."
She said that authorities must take a serious note of the sanitation and garbage dumping on road side.
"Special steps must be taken for the upcoming marriage season so that we can reduce the dog bite cases."
She added that people must also behave responsibly and avoid dumping of garbage on roads sides.
According to the recently released information from the Health Department, 80,000 dog bite cases have been reported in the Valley during the past five year while 20 people have died of Rabies. From 2008-2012, 58095 dog bite cases were reported. This is excluding the figures registered by the Anti-Rabies Clinic (ARC) at the SMHS Hospital here where officials say 22649 such cases have been registered in the past five years.
The Anti Rabies Clinic at SMHS has recorded 3772 dog bite cases in 2008, 3909 in 2009, 5790 in 2010, 3772 in 2011 and 5406 in 2012.
While Srinagar Municipal Commissioner, G.N.Qasba could not be contacted, Chief Sanitation Officer, Manzoor Ahmad Parrey said utmost care shall be taken of sanitation and garbage disposal during the wedding season.
"One of the main problems we have is that of open garbage sheds. We shall close all of them this season which will help to fight dog menace," said Parrey. He said that temporary collection of garbage is being done in different kinds of dustbins which are disposed off separately. "We are also adopting mechanized collection of garbage waste and have ordered more garbage collecting vehicles." |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
