India’s dog bite crisis: 60 children attacked every hour in 2024, shows govt data
Of the total dog bite cases, over 5 lakh victims were children less than 15 years of age.
In a written reply to an unstarred question, Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Rajiv Ranjan said that 21,95,122 dog bite cases and 37 deaths were reported during 2024. (Express Archive Photo/ Jasbir Malhi) About 22 lakh dog bite cases were reported in the country during 2024 (January-December), Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Rajiv Ranjan Singh Alias Lalan Singh, informed Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
In a written reply to an unstarred question, Singh said that 21,95,122 dog bite cases and 37 deaths were reported during 2024. Besides, 5,04,728 cases and 11 deaths of other animals including monkey bite cases were reported last year, Singh said, citing the data reported by states and Union Territories on the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (Integrated Health Information Platform) portal under the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Of the total dog bite cases, over 5 lakh victims were children less than 15 years of age.
“As per the data reported by States/UTs on the Integrated Health Information Platform portal under Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, 519,704 dog bite cases involving children less than 15 years of age were reported across the country during Jan-Dec 2024,” he said.
Stating that the issue of stray animals falls under the purview of State Governments concerned and therefore, local bodies are mandated to handle these incidents, Singh listed actions taken by the Centre’s concerned departments to tackle such incidents.
In a written reply to a separate question, Singh also informed the House that the post of the Chairman in the Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog has remained vacant since February 2022.
“No schemes have been implemented based on the recommendations of the RKA since 2019 and hence no expenditure,” he said.
The NDA government had constituted Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog on February 21, 2019.
The then Finance Minister Piyush Goyal, in his 2019-20 Budget (interim) speech had announced the setting up of Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog “to upscale sustainable genetic up-gradation of cow resources and to enhance production and productivity of cows.”
“The Aayog will also look after effective implementation of laws and welfare schemes for cows,” Goyal had said.
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