Mira Bhayandar: The ferocious attack by a dog that left a 9-year-old boy seriously injured in Mira Road on Monday night has yet again put the spotlight on the stray menace which has reached alarming proportions in the twin-city.
About The Incident
The incident was reported from a complex in the Poonam Sagar area of Mira Road at around 10 pm when 9-year-old Darsh Rawat was playing football with his friends in the compound of the building. While playing, Darsh apparently went to collect the ball when the dog suddenly pounced on him without any provocation.
Darsh who suffered serious injuries to his head, eyelids, nose, and cheeks was rushed to a nearby hospital where doctors suggested plastic surgery for treating the facial wounds. Owing to swelling caused by the injuries, Darsh was unable to open his mouth. The surgery was conducted on Tuesday.
Mira Bhayandar Witnesses An Alarming Rise In Dog Bite Cases
Notably, the twin-city has witnessed an alarming rise in dog bites, with 12,145 cases received by 13 medical institutions including 11 public health centres, one each hospital run by the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) and state government in less than a year between 1 January 2024 to 15 December 2024. This translates into an average of 35 bite cases every day indicating an increase of around 10 percent as compared to cases registered last year.
However, the actual figures could be much higher as several cases go unreported as victims approach private medical establishments to get themselves treated and administered the Anti-Rabies Vaccine (ARV). Despite an alarming rise in the number of stray dogs in the twin-city, the zero-breeding initiative continues to remain a distant dream for the civic administration.
