Nagpur: The city’s stray dog menace has reached alarming levels. In a startling revelation before the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) admitted that over 1,500 dog bite cases were reported between January and July this year, and that figure only accounts for victims who sought treatment at civic-run hospitals. Officials conceded the actual number, including cases treated at private facilities, could be more than double.
The disclosure came through a compliance affidavit filed by NMC counsel Sudhir Puranik in response to the court’s directive to act on orders issued way back on October 20 and November 23, 2022. “All issues raised in those orders have been complied with,” claimed the affidavit, sworn by Rajesh Bhagat, Deputy Municipal Commissioner (Solid Waste Management).
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04 Aug 2025
While insisting there is “no shortage” of anti-rabies vaccines, the civic body said it had received 4,761 vials, utilised 4,601, and has 471 in stock. A detailed chart of vaccine supply and use has been submitted to the court.
However, the affidavit exposed the administration’s sluggish response to creating a centralised dog shelter, a crucial measure to curb stray proliferation. Acting on an April 1, 2024 court order, NMC said it conducted a joint survey with petitioners, civic officials, and the animal husbandry department, identifying four potential sites. But the project has stalled. “Despite repeated communications, the collector, who heads the Nagpur District Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, has not convened a meeting to finalise the proposal,” the corporation stated.
The revelations came in a public interest litigation filed by activists Vijay Shankar Talewar and another petitioner, represented by senior counsel Firdos Mirza, who have flagged the spike in dog bites, lack of proper shelters, and inadequate rabies control measures.
Even as the court monitors compliance, the ground reality is grim: rising attacks, slow-moving bureaucracy, and a city still waiting for decisive action to rein in its stray population.
