Picture for representational purpose only.
NOIDA: Troubled with the rising number of dog bite cases, a group of residents has decided to file a case in the Supreme Court next week.
They said while dog bite cases are increasing in the district, neither the Noida Authority has finalised an agency for sterilisation of stray, nor is the stock of anti-rabies vaccine (ARV) always available at government health centres.
They added that while there are several provisions for the safety of dogs, laws are silent on the safety of people from dog bites.
Estimates suggest that there have been over 100 dog bite cases in the past 10 days from across the city. While the anti-rabies vaccine is available at private hospitals, it is costly. Each of the five shots cost Rs 250-500 at private hospitals, the total treatment being Rs 1,250-2,500. However, there is usually no choice available since the doses seem to be in short supply at the district hospital.
Noida: Flooded with reports of dog bites, the Noida Authority has over the past few weeks stepped up sterilisation drive to control dog population in the city. Additionally, the authority is all set to add 20 new kennels at its Sector 94 animal shelter, which already has 45 kennels. Officials claimed that the kennels were urgently required as squeezing more than four dogs into one kennel “is treated as animal cruelty.”
The sterilisation programme is being conducted by two NGOs, each catering to five work circles. The shelter treats sick canines and the kennels are allotted to sterilised dogs after surgery. The sterilised canines are later released in the localities they were picked up after they recuperate.