KMC, DMCs, cantonments boards told to put a stop on dog-bite cases

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Tuesday took exception to the increase in dog-bite incidents and directed the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) and all the district municipal corporations (DMCs) and cantonment boards in the province to take all the necessary measures, including the deploying of task forces to put a stop to such incidents.

Hearing a petition calling for controlling the population of stray dogs and the availability of free anti-rabies vaccine, a division bench of the SHC headed by Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar observed that incidents of dog-bites are increasing rapidly and the public at large is severely affected and afraid of such incidents.

The court observed that dog-bite incidents are being reported in the print and electronic media, causing severe harassment and panic among the public at large. The court directed the KMC and all the DMCs and cantonment boards of the province to submit progress reports with regard to the elimination of dog-bite incidents in their respective jurisdictions.

The local government secretary has submitted a compliance report in which certain measures are stated to have been taken, including the inviting of tenders with regard to the rabies control programme and the procurement committee for the rabies control programme, as well as the forming of a complaint redressal committee.

The court observed that no replay has been filed by the LG secretary with regard to the framing of the by-laws to deal with stray dogs. The court directed the LG secretary to submit a progress report with regard to the approval of the by-laws for dealing with the matter of stray dogs under the Sindh Local Government Act (SLGA) 2013.

The court had been informed earlier by the LG secretary that a committee was constituted under Section 139 of the SLGA to formulate by-laws regarding the matters enumerated in clauses 8, 9 and 10 of Schedule VIII of the Act that deal with the detention, destruction and enforcement of vaccination of stray dogs.

The LG secretary had assured the high court that as soon as vetting was completed, the draft would be sent to the provincial cabinet for approval. Regarding the rabies control programme and its implementation, the project director of the programme submitted that funds had already been allocated, and the procurement committee with the consultation of the technical stakeholders, including the Indus Hospital, would convene a meeting for supplying vaccines for the rabies control programme.