Rising dog bites: BJP MP urges committee to address 'atmosphere of terror'

BJP's Lok Sabha MP from Ghaziabad, Atul Garg, said that 3.05 million people in India have been bitten by dogs, with 286 fatalities resulting from these bites

Bharatiya Janata Party’s Lok Sabha MP from Ghaziabad, Atul Garg, raised concerns in the Parliament on Tuesday about the increasing number of stray dog bite incidents, calling for framing a committee to address the issue with sensitivity. 

Highlighting that a sense of fear has grown due to these incidents, during the Zero Hour in Lok Sabha, Garg pointed out that 3.05 million people in India have been bitten by dogs, with 286 fatalities resulting from these bites.

The Ghaziabad MP urged that a committee should be constituted to address this issue, noting that laws have been enacted and reviewed in the past. He added, “Children cannot play in the open. An atmosphere of terror has been created within the city. So it is my request that a committee be formed and the matter be taken up.”

 

Rising stray dog attacks in Ghaziabad

He further said, “If these statistics are accurate, then 35,000 people in Ghaziabad alone were bitten by dogs in a year. Small children are often the victims. Just two days ago, a newspaper published a photo and story of a child who had an ear bitten off by a dog. Four days ago, a young child of a labourer tragically died from rabies,” according to a report from the news agency PTI.

Garg also mentioned that when someone is being attacked by a dog, no ‘dog lover’ steps in to help. He emphasised that while pet owners can be held responsible if their dog attacks someone, there is no such accountability for stray dogs.

Garg also expressed concern over the imbalance in laws, highlighting the tension between animal welfare and human safety.

Chhattisgarh dog bite cases

In Chhattisgarh, at least 119,928 dog bite cases were recorded in the past year, resulting in three deaths, The Times of India reported, citing data from Chhattisgarh Human Rights Commission. Raipur, Bilaspur, and Durg reported the highest number of cases. 

An official noted that the actual number could be higher since these figures only include government hospitals. The State Human Rights Commission has taken suo motu cognizance of the widespread dog menace in the state.

Surge in dog bite incidents in 2023

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare reported in December last year that dog bite incidents in India increased by 26.5 per cent year-on-year, rising from 2.18 million in 2022 to 2.75 million in 2023. In a report submitted to the Rajya Sabha, the ministry indicated that Kerala, Jharkhand, Delhi, Assam, and the union territory of Chandigarh experienced the most significant year-on-year rise in stray dog bite cases.

Subsequently, on March 7 of this year, the Director General of Health Services issued an order to states, directing them to collect detailed and accurate data on animal bites from all public health centres, community health centres, district hospitals, and tertiary care facilities. The directive also called for separate records for new and follow-up patients in the animal bite exposure register to prevent multiple entries for the same case.

Turkey’s stray dog ‘massacre law’

In a controversial move last week, Turkish lawmakers passed legislation to remove millions of stray dogs from the streets, raising concerns among animal rights activists that this could lead to widespread euthanasia or mistreatment of animals, according to a report by The Guardian. 

Critics have labelled the legislation a ‘massacre law’ due to provisions that allow for the euthanasia of certain stray dogs. The decision has sparked widespread protests across Turkey, with critics arguing that the law could be used to target Opposition parties that have recently gained ground in local elections.

Government estimates suggest there are around four million stray dogs in Turkey, many of which are harmless. However, there has been a rise in pack behaviour and attacks on people. The legislation notably did not address Turkey’s large population of stray cats.