Maha Canine Challenge: 17 Lakh Stray Dogs In State, 2 Lakh In City

Nagpur: Maharashtra is grappling with an alarming stray dog population of nearly 17 lakh, including two lakh in Nagpur, resulting in 9.7 lakh dog bite incidents every year in the state and posing a serious threat of rabies and other zoonotic diseases, said Ramaswami N, secretary, Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development and Fisheries Department, Maharashtra, on Thursday.Referring to rabies as a critical One Health issue, Ramaswami said India witnessed over 20,000 rabies deaths annually, with Maharashtra being one of the major contributing states. "In the last one year alone, Maharashtra reported 20 rabies deaths, and alarmingly, over 60% of the victims were children below 15 years of age," he stated. Data compiled up to the ward level showed that the state also recorded around 9.7 lakh dog bite incidents every year.
Ramaswami added that Pune city and its periphery too accounted for nearly four lakh stray dogs.Criticising limitations of current Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme, he said sterilisation rates in many municipal corporations remained as low as 2-3%, and at best 7-8%, which was insufficient to curb their growth.The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court recently took strong note of the growing stray dog and dog bite menace in several cities of Maharashtra, warning civic authorities of personal accountability for failure to implement effective control measures. However, despite repeated HC directions, the stray menace continues across many urban and semi-urban areas of the state. Addressing a national symposium on ‘Role of Canine in One Health: Building Partnerships and Resolving Challenges' at Nagpur Veterinary College at Seminary Hills, Ramaswami highlighted the urgent need for scientific and scalable solutions to control the stray dog population and prevent rabies-related deaths.The symposium was organised by Indian Society for Advancement of Canine Practice, Maharashtra Animal and Fishery Sciences University (MAFSU), Nagpur, and National Association for Welfare of Animals and Research.Drawing parallels with Covid-19 pandemic, Ramaswami underlined importance of the One Health approach, noting that over 60% of human diseases originated in animals, while nearly 75% of emerging infectious diseases were zoonotic. "Nagpur, which houses the National Institute of One Health, is the most appropriate location for such deliberations," he said.Ramaswami said rapid urbanisation compounded the issue. "Maharashtra is among most urbanised states. Urban growth brings challenges, but also sharp rise in stray animals," he said.