In a shocking revelation, over 4200 residents of the Kharghar node have been bitten by dogs in the past five years. What's concerning is the apparent lack of records of registered pets by the Panvel Municipal Corporation (PMC) in the area. Despite being a highly developed region within the PMC jurisdiction, with numerous large housing societies accommodating hundreds of families, Kharghar node has witnessed recurring incidents of dog bites and conflicts between animal enthusiasts and residents, prompting widespread concern among citizens.
RTI activist Ravindra Mishra has voiced concerns, highlighting the civic body's apparent neglect in addressing the issue. "There is a veterinary center in Kharghar node where pet owners can easily register their pets for free and ensure their vaccination by paying the necessary charges," Mishra pointed out. He added that information obtained through RTI inquiries indicated that the civic body lacked records of registered pets in the node. "It appears that the civic body is unwilling to allocate manpower to address this issue," Mishra concluded.
In addition to concerns about registered pets, residents must contend with a significant population of stray dogs. According to RTI information, between January 2019 and November 2023, a staggering 4,287 dog bite incidents were recorded by the corporation, spanning the last five years. “There has been a sharp rise in the number of people getting injured due to stray dogs attacking. There is an atmosphere of terror in Kharghar due to dog attacks. The garbage lying on the road would have provided easy food to the dogs. Otherwise, at night, the sidewalks and streets are littered with garbage like Chinese vehicles running erratically. Therefore the number of dogs is increasing. Attack on society and citizens on the streets of Kharghar campus,” said a resident of the node.
Another resident alleged that since there is no survey of pet animals including cat and stray dogs, rising cases of dog bites are due to lackadaisical attitude of the corporation. A senior official from the Animal Welfare Department of PMC acknowledged that over 4,200 people have fallen victim to dog bites. However, he asserted that regular sterilization procedures are conducted in Kharghar and Taloja. Additionally, the RTI inquiry unveiled that the civic body has yet to take action against pet owners who have failed to register their pets, as the matter is currently under consideration at the administrative level.