161 bitten in 24 hours: Stray dog terror in Kalyan leaves hospital swamped
New Delhi: Panic has spread across Kalyan after stray dogs bit more than 160 people in just 24 hours. The attacks took place between Sunday afternoon and Monday. An 11-year-old girl was seriously hurt and had to be moved to a hospital in Mumbai for better treatment.
The attacks started near Sandeep Hotel on Birla College Road in Kalyan West, where a dog attacked more than 60 people and Local residents said a stray dog started chasing pedestrians, people on bikes and autorickshaws. The dog then moved through nearby streets and housing societies, biting anyone in its way.
People living near Birla College, the old RTO office, and Bhoirwadi were terrified. Parents forced their children to stay inside and stopped them from playing outdoors.
Hospitals overcrowded
Many injured people rushed to Rukminibai Hospital for treatment and anti-rabies shots. Chief Medical Officer Sulochana Tribhuvan said the hospital treated 58 dog-bite patients on Sunday and another 103 by Monday afternoon.
Out of these, 46 people had deep, bleeding wounds and were admitted for special treatment. The hospital confirmed it has enough stock of anti-rabies vaccines and injections.
Anger against local authorities
The incident has made local residents angry at the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC). People asked why the civic body did not act immediately when the first bite cases were reported.
In response, KDMC Commissioner Abhinav Goyal and Mayor Harshali Thavil visited the city’s dog sterilisation centre to check the situation.
“We have been trying to catch the dogs since last night. The dogs that have been caught are being given rabies injections, and the administration has been instructed to speed up the sterilisation work,”Mayor Harshali Thavil said.
Political leaders attack civic body
Political leaders also criticized the local administration. Umesh Borgavkar, a leader from the Thackeray faction, called the response delayed and unplanned.
“After such a big incident, the administration has woken up and is now showing how alert it has become. This is shameful,” Borgavkar said.
He called out the civic body’s lack of planning despite its frequent boasts about development and Smart City initiatives. “There is no planning in the municipal corporation. Smart City is talked about – this will happen, that will happen. Figures of Rs 300 crore, Rs 500 crore are thrown around to show how much development has happened,” he said.
“But a mad dog roams around the city and bites 200-500 people, and we are unable to do anything. This is shameful,” Borgavkar said.
Residents are now demanding quick and strict action to catch stray dogs and keep children and pedestrians safe.
Curated by- Ramansh Dhadwal