Panchkula: Over a year after the Supreme Court issued directions to regulate stray dog feeding, the Panchkula municipal corporation (MC) has designated its first and only feeding point in the city. The metal and fibreglass-structured open box, marked with the words “Dog Feeding Point,” was recently installed in Sector 2 following persistent efforts by local residents.The civic body took more than 12 months to act on the initial request submitted by the Sector 2 Residents’ Welfare Society (RWS) in Dec last year. Out of the seven locations proposed by the society, the corporation has earmarked just one site so far, leaving the rest of the city without designated zones.The installation comes against the backdrop of a sharp rise in dog bite incidents across the district, including a severe attack in Sector 2 last week. According to official data from the Panchkula civil hospital, 7,026 dog bite cases were reported between Jan and May this year alone.Hospital records indicate a steady upward trend in recent years. The district logged 14,230 dog bite cases in 2025—the highest in three years—up from 10,875 cases in 2024 and 10,161 in 2023.Highlighting the struggle to get the basic infrastructure approved, Subhash Chandra, president of the Sector 2 RWS, said, “Ours is the first sector in Panchkula where a dog feeding point has been set up. We made the first request in Dec last year. It followed 15 visits to the MC office and about seven representations to the corporation for this site getting earmarked. We hope the corporation soon designates the other six dog feeding points in Sector 2.”Chandra also detailed the recent attack in his locality that underscored the urgency of the issue. “A house maid got injured after a dog attacked her. She was referred to the PGI and admitted there. She almost lost her eyesight. Things will be clear after the operation,” he shared.Following the Supreme Court’s directives, the municipal corporation had asked resident welfare associations (RWAs) to suggest suitable feeding locations in their respective sectors. The civic body later maintained that it could not demarcate the zones because it did not receive responses from the associations.Citizen groups, however, have questioned the administration’s reliance on local associations to enforce apex court orders. SK Nayar, president of the Panchkula Citizens Welfare Association, stated, “RWAs are no govt agency. If they have not written to the corporation, it does not mean that the apex court-issued directions will not be fulfilled. The corporation should have designated points itself with the support of the area councillor, rather than sitting empty-handed for over a year on the issue.”Attempts to reach municipal commissioner Vinay Kumar for his response via phone calls and text messages went unanswered.
