Early Times Report
Srinagar, Oct 28: Jammu and Kashmir recorded more than two lakh dog bite cases in the past three years, and a comprehensive drive for sterilisation and immunisation of stray dogs has been launched in the Union territory, the J-K government informed the Assembly on Tuesday. In reply to a question by National Conference (NC) MLA Mubarik Gul, the government said 2,12,968 cases of dog bites have been recorded in the Union territory since 2022. While 98,470 cases were reported from the Jammu division, 1,14,498 cases were recorded in the Kashmir division, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who also holds the housing and urban development portfolio, said in the written reply in the Assembly. According to the data shared by the government, Jammu district reported the highest number of cases during the period under review at 54,889, followed by Srinagar city with 36,406 cases. Anantnag district in south Kashmir was third with 26,453 cases, followed by Baramulla in north Kashmir at 18,563. Shopian district in south Kashmir reported the lowest number of dog bite cases — 1,357 — in the past three years, the government said. A comprehensive drive for the sterilisation and immunisation of stray dogs has been launched, it said. From June 2023 to September 2025, 48,998 stray dogs were sterilised and vaccinated, Abdullah said. The Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) tops the list with 27,237 sterilisations and vaccinations, followed by the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) at 13,730. The municipal committees in the other districts of Jammu region carried out 7,870 sterilisations and vaccinations, the government said. The chief minister said while Srinagar has two Animal Birth Control (ABC) centres and is establishing a third, the Directorate of Urban Local Bodies, Kashmir, is in the process of setting up such centres in the remaining nine districts of the Kashmir Division, for which identification of land has been taken up with the deputy commissioners. In the first phase, land/building has already been identified for three clusters at Baramulla, Kulgam and Sumbal for establishing these centres, the government said. |