Chandigarh, May 2 -- Taking note of over 3.34 lakh dog bite cases in the state in 2025, the Punjab government has swung into action to tackle the stray dog menace. Seeking immediate, coordinated and result-oriented measures, local government minister Sanjeev Arora on Friday directed municipal corporation commissioners and additional deputy commissioners (ADCs) to submit detailed action-taken reports within seven days. Calling the issue a "serious public safety and public health concern", Arora said the unchecked rise in stray dog populations had begun to severely impact the daily lives of citizens. He noted that incidents involving dog bites, attacks on children and elderly residents, and the presence of aggressive packs in residential neighbourhoods had created widespread fear and insecurity. He added that authorities had been receiving frequent complaints about stray dogs chasing pedestrians, two-wheeler riders and schoolchildren - often leading to accidents and injuries. "This is not merely a civic inconvenience but a pressing safety challenge that demands urgent intervention," the minister said. The minister attributed the growing problem to gaps in sterilisation efforts and poor waste management practices. To tackle the issue comprehensively, Arora directed officials to scale up sterilisation programmes to control the stray dog population in a humane and scientific manner. He also called for mass vaccination drives to curb the spread of rabies and other zoonotic diseases. htc...