Data till November shows that an average of 5,739 people have been bitten by dogs every day in the year 2022. However, there has been a decline in such cases since the pandemic. If pre-pandemic levels are also included, the average will increase. India recorded around 16 million cases of stray dog bites between 2019 and 2022 (Parliament data till November, 2022). That is, more than 10,000 cases every day.
The annual number of recorded data has come down from 73 lakh in 2019 to less than 20 lakh by November of 2022.
According to the Livestock Census report of 2019, there are around 1.53 crore stray dogs roaming the streets in India. Stray dog attacks, especially on children, from Panipat to Hyderabad and Lucknow to Pune have been making headlines since the beginning of this year. Following cases of stray dog attacks in Kerala last year, the Supreme Court asked the state government to tackle the dog menace and strike a balance between public safety and animal rights.
Stray dog attacks are more of a problem for some states than others. Data shows that nearly 60 per cent of these attacks have taken place in Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat and West Bengal since 2019. The numbers have declined since the pandemic. The state wise ranking in 2022 shows some changes. Andhra Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Karnataka now feature in the top five.
According to World Health Organization (WHO) estimates, India accounts for 36 per cent of rabies deaths in the world, as it claims 18,000- 20,000 people die every year in the country. Between 30 and 60 percent of cases and deaths occur in children under 15 years of age.
