Balangir, June 17: Unusual growth in the population of stray dogs has posed threat to the residents of this town here thanks to apathy on the part of municipal authorities.

There has been an unusual increase in the number of dog-bite cases reported at the district headquarters hospital here in the past few months.

Official sources said at least 100 dog-bite cases are reported at the hospital every month. Panic stricken residents have asked the authorities to take steps to reduce dog population.

According to the district headquarters hospital sources, most of the dog-bite cases had been reported from localities such as, Shantipada, Tulsinagar, Malpada, Kansaripada and Radharanipada.

Sources said, in April, the hospital admitted 108 dog-bite cases. Each patient was administered four doses of vaccine. The figure was higher in May. Hospital sources said they had admitted 121 dog-bite cases in the month for which they had to administer 484 doses.

Sitaram Pradhan, a resident, whose brother was a victim of the canine attack, said: “Even a few years ago, fewer dogs could be found on the streets of Balangir. Now it has gone up manifold. There have been several cases of stray dogs attacking residents. The dogs have unleashed terror here. The civic authorities are doing nothing to rein in the population of stray dogs,” he said.

On May 17, the district headquarters hospital received as many as 29 dog-bite cases.

Chief district medical officer of Balangir Dr Purna Chandra Sahu said there had been an unusual rise in the number of dog-bite cases reported at the hospital here in the past few months. “We have observed that the number of dog-bite cases reported has been much more than what we usually have,” Sahu said.

“We have ample amount of vaccine available in the hospital to meet the requirement of such cases. It is the duty of the municipal authorities to control stray dog population,” he added.

Executive officer of the Balangir municipality Pradeep Kumar Gardia, however, said the state government had issued an instruction to sterilise stray dogs to control their population. “There is a government order to sterilise the dogs. We, however, are yet to do that as we don’t have the required equipment to catch the animals from the street and take them to veterinary hospital for sterilisation,” Gardia said.