Daijiworld Media Network - Beed
Beed (Maharashtra), Aug 23: A three-year-old girl sustained severe facial injuries and required 12 stitches after being mauled by a stray dog in Beed district, officials said on Sunday, amid growing concerns over the stray dog menace across Maharashtra.
The incident occurred in the Shivtej Nagar area of Dhande Nagar, where the stray dog attacked the girl while she was playing outside her home.
The injured child has been identified as Shivanshi Rameshwar Gholap. She suffered serious injuries to her face in the attack and is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital in the Nagar Naka area.
The incident has triggered panic among residents, with parents expressing concern over allowing their children to play outdoors.
A similar incident was reported last month in Beed city's Dhanor Road area, where a pack of stray dogs attacked a young girl standing at her doorstep. The dogs dragged the girl from the doorway onto the street. Public anger against the municipal administration intensified after CCTV footage of the attack emerged.
Reports of stray dog attacks were also received last week from the Mominpura area of Beed city, where several people were reportedly attacked by stray dogs.
With the latest incident involving the three-year-old, questions are once again being raised over the effectiveness of measures being taken by the municipal administration to control the stray dog population and prevent attacks.
Meanwhile, the Maharashtra government launched a comprehensive statewide intervention last month to tackle the growing stray dog menace.
All urban and rural local bodies have been directed to strictly implement sterilisation and anti-rabies vaccination measures in accordance with the Central government's Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, 2023, and directives issued by the Supreme Court.
The announcement was made by Industries Minister Uday Samant during Question Hour in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. The issue was raised by MLA Arjun Khotkar, who highlighted the escalating safety risks posed by stray dogs.
MLAs Amin Patel, Sneha Dubey, Namita Mundada and Sana Malik also participated in the debate on the issue.