The death of Odisha Sahitya Akademi secretary, Prabodh Rout after being attacked by a stray dog has once again raised concerns about the alarming rise in such incidents in the twin cities of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar. Stray dogs chasing vehicles on roads in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar is a common sight.
The problem becomes acute during the night as the canines grow aggressive. Unchecked, the dog menace has turned serious and the number of mishaps is increasing. Several people have lost their lives while many others suffered injuries after falling from their two-wheelers.
Prabodh suffered serious injuries as he fell off his scooter after a stray dog suddenly came in front of his vehicle. He succumbed to the injuries on his head during treatment. Similarly, Ramakant Sahu from Cuttack’s Ranihat broke his left hand after being chased by a stray dog.
However, residents allege that civic bodies have not taken concrete measures to deal with the situation.
“I was on my way to Chhatra Bazaar to buy vegetables. My vehicle was moving slowly, but the stray dogs randomly came in front of my vehicle and I fell down, breaking my left hand,” said Ramakant.
With no concrete solution in sight, many have demanded that stray dogs should be lifted from the roads and kept in a safe place.
“The stray dogs should be taken off the roads and kept in some safe place where they can be fed. Not only Prabodh sir, but many people have suffered badly due to this dog menace. This step will help commuters to ride safely and also reduce the number of accidental deaths and injuries,” said Jayant Kumar Routray, a Cuttack resident.
A dog attack victim recalled her nightmare and said, “I still experience the trauma and suffer from pain after I fell off my scooter as I was chased by a pack of street dogs.”
On the other hand, Cuttack Mayor has admitted that there hasn’t been any enduring solution to the issue of stray dogs.
“We cannot take stray dogs and leave them somewhere. We have deployed some people to take care of the stray dogs, but their numbers are only increasing. There is no concrete solution in this regard,” stated Cuttack Mayor, Subhash Singh.