A staggering 4,433 animal bite cases have been recorded in Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) limits in just four months between April and August 2024. In this whopping number, 3,809 cases are of dog bite which has become a menace for citizens as well as for the civic body. As per the information provided by NMC in a Right To Information (RTI) reply to RTI activist Abhay Kolarkar, Nagpur city witnesses other animal bite cases also like monkey, rat, horse, rabbit, pig, mongoose and cat every year.

 

This year, after dog bite, NMC reported the second highest 421 cases of cat bite between April and August, followed by 132 cases of rat bite, 55 cases of monkey, 7 cases of mongoose, 2 cases of rabbit, 1 case of horse and 6 cases of other animals in city. However, the stray dog menace has become expensive deal for the civic body as it spent Rs 61 lakh in last three years, besides the cost of treating the grievous injuries from bites to common citizen. As per the RTI reply, in last six years from April 2019 to August 2024, total 41,455 cases of dog bite have been reported by NMC in city. Similarly, 2,797 cat bite cases has been reported in last six years in city. During pandemic, when the lockdown was imposed in 2020-21 the lowest number of animal bite cases were reported but post pandemic the cases has increased drastically. In 2020-21, there were only 2,764 cases of animal bites recorded by the civic body in which 2,584 cases were of dog bites.

 

In 2021-22, the number of animal bite cases increased by 7,335 and it increased every year. In 2022,23, the animal bite cases were 8,925 and in 2023-24, the number was 10,246. As per the data provided by NMC, in just four months, this year, the number crossed the overall tally of pandemic year. “The civic body should find out a permanent solution of such animal bite cases along with dog bites which is on rise in city. Though the number of other animal bites are less as compared to dog bite cases in the city, but NMC should address it by providing vaccines and medicines in hospitals like rabies for dog bites,” Kolarkar told The Hitavada. For increasing dog bite cases in city, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been also filed in the Nagpur Bench of Bombay High Court and the legal proceedings are underway. However, more efforts are needed to address such cases in near future, said Kolarkar.