Fear grips Telangana citizens as dogs take over the streets

Hyderabad: Stray dog attacks and dog-bite incidents are on the rise across the state, leaving residents fearful of venturing out alone on the streets.

An incident in which a five-year-old boy contracted rabies and died after being bitten by a stray dog in Khammam district caused concern among residents, as it was the second such incident to be reported within the span of a month.

Last month, a four-year-old was mauled to death by stray dogs in Amberpet, while playing on the street.

People across the societal spectra in Hyderabad, from doctors to traders, detailed their terrifying encounters with strays.

Dr S.R. Sukumar, a retired professor and civil surgeon, was badly bitten by a stray dog in Gunfoundary while he was walking to his clinic.

“I rushed to the Institute of Preventative Medicine to get rabies immunoglobulin. I saw that several fresh cases of dog bites were being reported at both the Narayanguda Centre of Preventive Medicine and the Nallakunta Fever Hospital. With the number of hospitals in the city, this is just the tip of the iceberg. The city authorities must get their act together, shake off their complacency, and take the situation seriously, especially when minor children are succumbing to dog bites,” he said.

He also called Mayor Gadwal Vijayalakshmi's remark of “dogs behave that way if not fed” outrageous and insensitive, demonstrating the civic body's apathy and complacency in dealing with the menace.

Ragunandan, a Ramanthapur resident who owns a kirana store, said, “Packs of dog are a nuisance and endanger lives of residents. Children are not allowed to play or have fun outside, and we are terrified to walk down the street because we never know where or when the dogs would pounce on us.”

He claimed that during summer, dogs get more aggressive. He also claimed that the GHMC dog catchers released a few dogs back into the colony after sterilising them.

A few also blamed residents feeding dogs for the rising number of dog attacks.

“Citizens throw garbage along the street corners, and since it contains food, dogs are drawn to it. As these are their street dogs, they should assume responsibility for having them sterilised with assistance from the civic authorities,” said Anupama, a resident of Srinagar Colony.