Srinagar, Sep 22 (KNO): The Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) sterilised 15,266 stray dogs and immunised 15,725 dogs against rabies between June 2023 and September 2025, while the government said a series of measures are being undertaken to strengthen the Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme across Jammu and Kashmir.
The issue was raised by Zadibal MLA Tanvir Sadiq through a starred question in the Legislative Assembly, seeking details about the growing stray dog population in Srinagar and other urban areas, the number of dogs sterilised and vaccinated, and measures being taken to address dog bites and related public-safety concerns.
In its reply, the Housing and Urban Development Department, as reported by the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), said the government was aware of the growing stray dog population and increasing incidents of dog bites and road accidents caused by stray dogs, particularly affecting children, elderly persons and pedestrians.
The department said that in Srinagar, the SMC conducted a scientific stray dog population survey in 2023 through an Animal Welfare Organisation recognised by the Animal Welfare Board of India. The survey adopted the Capture-Recapture Technique using the Lincoln-Petersen Formula and estimated the stray dog population within SMC jurisdiction at approximately 64,416.
From June 2023 to September 2025, the SMC sterilised 15,266 stray dogs and immunised 15,725 dogs against rabies at its designated ABC centres at Tengpora and Shuhama.
Regarding ward-wise data, the government said the same is not presently available in a uniform and consolidated format with the concerned departments and Urban Local Bodies. Efforts are being made to strengthen scientific enumeration, identification and record maintenance of dogs covered under the ABC/Anti-Rabies Vaccination (ARV) programme.
The government said dog-bite cases in the Union Territory are being recorded and monitored through the State Surveillance Officer under the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) of the Directorate of Health Services, Kashmir.
As regards Jammu, the Jammu Municipal Corporation has reported that more than 50,000 dogs have been sterilised since 2014 under its ABC programme.
On the existing arrangements, the government said the concerned Municipal Corporations and ULBs are implementing the ABC and ARV programmes with veterinary manpower, humane dog-catching, holding and post-operative care facilities, public awareness and other associated measures.
In Srinagar, the SMC has designated ABC centres at Tengpora Bypass and Shuhama, SKUAST-K, with a combined kennel capacity of 121. The Tengpora centre is operational, while an additional ABC centre at Ahal Chatterhama, having a proposed kennel capacity of 60, is under construction. On completion, the three SMC ABC centres will have an aggregate kennel capacity of 181.
In Jammu, the JMC is implementing the programme through its existing ABC centre at Roop Nagar, besides additional centres at Bhagwati Nagar and SPCA Chowadhi.
In other ULBs of Kashmir Division, the ABC centre at Municipal Council Sumbal is under construction, with approximately 70 per cent of the prefabricated building completed. Five kanals of land have been transferred by the District Administration, Pulwama, to Municipal Council Awantipora for establishment of an ABC centre.
The government said that keeping in view the scale and geographical spread of the stray dog population, the existing infrastructure and operational capacity require further augmentation and strengthening to ensure wider, effective and sustained coverage.
Accordingly, measures are being undertaken for expansion of ABC centres, strengthening of veterinary manpower and dog-catching facilities, augmentation of holding, isolation and post-operative facilities, expansion of sterilisation and ARV coverage, scientific identification and record-keeping, regulation of designated feeding points, improved solid-waste management and intensified public awareness.
The government said Veterinary Surgeons/Doctors deputed by the Animal/Sheep Husbandry Department have been adjusted/deployed in Municipal Corporations/ULBs under Government Order No. 272-JK(APD) of 2026 dated June 12, 2026, read with Government Order No. 127-JK(HUD) of 2026 dated June 29, 2026, to augment veterinary support for implementation of the ABC/ARV programme.
Further, vide Government Order No. 186-JK(HUD) of 2026 dated September 3, 2026, Veterinary Doctors were directed, with effect from September 4, to perform ABC surgeries at the Veterinary Hospital, BSF Frontier Headquarters, Humhama.
The Health and Medical Education Department will continue to ensure timely treatment and provision of anti-rabies prophylaxis to dog-bite victims at designated health institutions under the National Rabies Control Programme, the government said—(KNO)