Jammu: The government on Monday revealed that 20098 dog bite cases have been reported in Kashmir valley in 2017.

 In a written reply to National Conference leader and legislator Khanyar, Ali Mohammad Sagar, the government said that from January 2017 to November 2017, the valley registered a total of 20098 dog bite cases.

In Srinagar’s SMHS Hospital, the government informed the house that the hospital’s Anti-Rabies Clinic recorded a massive 6825 dog bite cases.

“The most of dog bite cases were received from Srinagar – 5060,” the government reply states.

The government reply further states that Baramulla recorded 3220 such cases followed by Budgam where 2762 cases of dog bites were recorded. Anantnag received 2492 such cases, it added.

South Kashmir’s Kulgam district witnessed 1839 such cases in 2017 while Pulwama witnessed 1936 dog bite cases.

Central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district witnessed 1119 dog bite cases in 2017 while North Kashmir’s Bandipora had 742 such cases during the previous year.

The least number of cases in the Kashmir Valley were recorded in North Kashmir’s Kupwara district where only 256 cases were recorded in 2017.

In Shopian district the number of dog bite cases stood at 470 in 2017.

In twin districts of Leh and Kargil, 797 and 11 dog bites cases were reported respectively.

The reply quoting the Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development Asiea Naqash said that 30,711 dog bite cases were registered at an anti-rabies clinic at the SMHC hospital in Srinagar from 2012-13 to 2017-18 up to September.

Of these 7,000 cases were registered in 2012-13, followed by 6,041 cases in 2013-14, 4,917 cases in 2014-15, 5,100 cases in 2015-16, 5,120 cases in 2016-17 and 2,533 cases in 2017-18 up to September, Naqash said.

She said the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) has been working to tackle the situation.

Due to implementation of various strategies, stray bite cases as per the available reports at the hospital over the last few years revealed that there has been around 30 per cent decline in the number of dog bites from 7,000 in 2012-13 to 5,120 in 2016-17, the minister said.

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