Nagpur: A silent but growing public health crisis is tightening its grip on the city. In the last five years alone, Nagpur has recorded a staggering 44,660 dog-bite incidents, leaving 9,946 citizens with serious injuries, according to official data accessed through the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC).
The figures reveal an alarming and relentless rise in attacks, exposing the deepening stray dog menace across the city’s streets, markets, and residential pockets. The situation reached its most disturbing peak in 2025, when 10,944 dog-bite cases and 2,173 serious injuries were reported in a single year, the highest recorded in recent years.
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Apr 06,2026 - Time 10.30Hrs
The shocking statistics were obtained through a Right to Information (RTI) application filed by city-based activist Abhay Kolarkar, exposing what many residents say is a worsening threat to public safety.
Rabies deaths spark panic
Even more frightening is the trend emerging in 2026. In just the first two months of the year, the city has already recorded 1,060 dog-bite cases along with a sudden spike in fatalities.
Official records show eight rabies-related deaths by the end of February, a number that has already surpassed the combined rabies fatalities reported over the previous two years.
Health officials warn that rabies, once symptoms appear, is almost always fatal, making the rising deaths a deeply disturbing indicator of the growing danger lurking in the city’s stray dog population.
Attacks rising year after year
The RTI data shows a sharp and consistent escalation in dog attacks over the years:
• 2021: 5,800 dog-bite cases
• 2022: Over 8,300 cases
• 2023: 9,110 cases
• 2024: 9,429 cases
• 2025: 10,944 cases
The figures highlight how the menace has steadily spiralled out of control, turning what was once an occasional nuisance into a serious urban safety hazard.
Stray animal attacks spreading beyond dogs
The crisis extends beyond dogs alone. Between April 2021 and February 2026, 6,126 people were bitten by other animals, including monkeys and donkeys roaming freely across the city.
These attacks have also increased sharply, from 546 cases in 2021-22 to 2,238 incidents between April 2025 and February 2026, indicating a broader issue with uncontrolled urban animal populations.
Sterilisation drive fails to curb menace
To tackle the rising population of stray dogs, the NMC’s Solid Waste Management Department has intensified its Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme.
Since mid-2023, three specialised agencies have sterilised 69,389 dogs at facilities in Bhandewadi, Gorewada and Maharajbagh. The drive included 35,264 male dogs and 34,136 female dogs, marking one of the largest sterilisation efforts undertaken in the city.
However, the ground reality appears starkly different.
Despite the large-scale sterilisation programme, RTI responses reveal no action has been taken to relocate stray dogs from high-risk public areas such as railway stations, court complexes, and crowded public squares.
In response to a direct query on how many dogs had been shifted to shelter homes following court orders, the civic administration’s official answer was “Nil.”
Experts warn of looming public health disaster
The data, provided by Epidemic Officer Dr Govardhan Navkhare and Public Information Officer Suresh Shivankar, has intensified fears that the city could be heading towards a major public health emergency if immediate action is not taken.
Experts say sterilisation helps control long-term population growth but does little to address immediate threats posed by aggressive or infected stray animals in crowded areas.
With rabies deaths already climbing in the early months of 2026, residents are demanding urgent intervention, stricter enforcement of relocation directives, and stronger safety measures to prevent more lives from being lost.
For many citizens, the question now is no longer about stray dogs alone — but how long the city can afford to ignore a growing menace that is turning ordinary streets into zones of fear.
