Is Wembley Estate, Gurgaon, a victim of stray dog-bites?
Welcome To CitySpidey

Location

Is Wembley Estate, Gurgaon, a victim of stray dog-bites?

Residents of the Sector 49 society refrain from going for morning walks or stepping out alone as the city witnesses a rising number of dog-bite incidents.

Is Wembley Estate, Gurgaon, a victim of stray dog-bites? Picture used for representative purpose only

Residents of Wembley Estate, a residential society in Sector 49, Gurgaon, seem to be grappling with some aggressive stray dogs in the society.

A 40-year-old resident of the society was bitten by a stray dog recently. Arvind Lakshmanarao, who works as a risk manager in a MNC, says that he has stopped going for morning walks after the attack which left him injured.

“When I reached an isolated turn during my morning walk, suddenly a dog attacked me. I shouted for help. A car cleaner heard me and rushed to the spot,” he says.

“I suffered a deep gash and had to be vaccinated for rabies,” he adds.

Similar incidents of stray dog bites have been witnessed in other sectors of the city as well, such as sectors 14, 17, 45, and 50. Residents have been complaining to MCG officials regarding the problem, but to no avail.

“We have been reporting to the authorities but no one seems to be paying attention. Children and the elderly suffer the most and cannot step out alone,” says Ajay Malhotra, secretary of Wembley Estate RWA.

Pankaj Dhar, president of Wembley Estate RWA, says, “The fear of stray dogs in our locality is a big issue. Once it gets dark, no one takes the risk of going out. The officials concerned must do something to catch them as they’ve become very dangerous.”

In the absence of a consistent sterilisation campaign, the number of stray dogs in the city is on the rise. The Civil Hospital, Gurgaon, registered 189 dog-bite cases in January. According to the hospital, 5,672 cases of dog bites were reported in 2016 while 4, 312 cases were reported in 2015.

Pardeep Sharma, superintendent medical officer, Civil Hospital, Gurgaon, says, “There are more number of minors among victims of dog bites. We have been witnessing a large number of such cases from all parts of the city.”

Even though the civic agencies claim to be running sterilisation drives in the city for more than 50,000 stray dogs, the number of dog-bite cases are not decreasing.

When City Spidey spoke to SS Rohilla, a MCG official, he said, “We have conducted several sterilisation drives in many parts, but some areas are still to be covered. We will soon cover the city and ensure that the menace is controlled in the coming two months.”