Daporijo found itself in the limelight and that too not for great reasons. The killing of stray dogs and pigs on Sunday to keep the town “clean” by the administration as part of “Swachh Bharat Abhiyan” evoked condemnation not just from animal activists but also a phone call from Union Minister and an avid animal lover Maneka Gandhi to the town magistrate. Even the capital administration had issued

"shoot at sight" in order to make the city more
hygienic and clean.

 

But how fair is it to hold the poor animals responsible for the mess of our towns and cities?

By putting the onus on the animals, the administration is taking an easy way out rather than confront the core issues of sanitation management and tackling wayward owners. If at all someone needs to be punished it must be the owners who allow their animals to roam free in search of their grub.

 

That said, India has a major problem with rabies. The WHO reported in April 2014 that India has about 18,000 to 20,000 cases of rabies a year and 36% of the world's deaths from the disease are found in the country. In 2015, 100 deaths were reported. But on a closer look, it is humans that are to be blamed than dogs per se. India's problem with waste disposal is recognized as a key contributor to the abundance of stray dogs. But root causes are not being addressed and dogs continue to be killed by local authorities – both regularly and in response to complaints.

Deaths due to more common hazards, such as automobiles are astronomical in contrast and statistics are available to prove  it, but anxiety involving dog bites is very high. Such anxiety leads to demands by some sections of society for a revival of the colonial practice of eradication through killing or removal. Local authorities have also occasionally flouted the law and resorted to eradication in the mistaken belief that this will produce a sanitized, dog-free locality – and thereby address the concerns of bites and rabies.

 It is easy to dismiss dogs as pests that can be eliminated without worry. However, it is important to remember that many creatures that were persecuted in the past as pests – for example, wolves and bats – are now protected as endangered animals or reintroduced for their ecological role. What is required is a multi-pronged, “One Health” approach that addresses the public health issues of dog bites and rabies through carefully implemented neutering and vaccination programmes, public education and behaviour change, and proper waste management. Without such a multi-pronged approach, any programme to address dog bites and rabies will remain ineffective.

 

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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