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All sectors in the city are under their siege. They race with moving vehicles, chase residents into their homes or worse bite them. In short, the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation has miserably failed to curb the menace.

Though the MC has framed bye-laws for keeping pet dogs, it has failed to come up with a constructive solution to control the stray dog menace. Every year, over 5,000 dog bite cases are reported in the city. The problem is severe in the southern sectors of the city.

Vandana Seth, a resident near Arya Samaj Mandir, complained that a stray dog had bitten her 9-year-old son. “We cannot go out of our houses. The dogs seem to appear out of nowhere. Since it is winter and it gets dark early, we have no choice but to stay indoors. Going out for a leisurely saunter is out of the question,” she rues.

Sector 16, where a large number of senior bureaucrats, including Deputy Commissioner, Municipal Commissioner, UT Finance Secretary and Judges reside, too, is not free from the menace. Interestingly, Mayor Pardeep Chhabra represents the area.

Councillor Jatinder Bhatia, who has been raising the issue in House, said the MC has failed to formulate a policy to curb the menace. “Nothing has been done so far. Worst affected are senior citizens and children. Since these dogs are not vaccinated, they are a hazard on the road,” he adds.

Only a few per cent get sterilised, making the control of stray dog population a challenge. A bigger challenge has come up with a sharp rise in the number of dog-bite cases. “The ban on dog killing, the ever-increasing dog population and unsuccessful sterilisation and immunisation policies have been detrimental towards curbing rabies,” said Medical Officer, Health, Dr G C Bansal.

The administration, however, has identified two acres of land for constructing dog pound. Mayor Pardeep Chhabra said, “We are concerned about the safety of residents, but we are helpless as we cannot kill stray dogs,” he added.

A case is pending in the Punjab and Haryana High Court for implementing stricter measures to control the stray dog menace. “National Board for Animals, Government of India, had approved an Ahmedabad-based NGO for the mass sterlisation programme in Chandigarh and Rs 10 lakh was kept for the purpose.

But the said NGO never turned up, as it was demanding more money. Now the MC is looking for other NGOs to do the job,” said Dr A P Sanwaria, former Chairman of MC’s Sanitation Committee.

Others rue inaction on the part of the Council and the administration to sterilise the dogs. “We can only look towards them for help and relief from this menace. If they too express their inability in roping in agencies to control the dog population, who will we turn to?” asks Vinay Sharma, a resident of Sector 15.