Hyderabad: Several residents from Adarshnagar Colony Phase-2 of Jawaharnagar have lost their sleep after an 18-month-old boy was mauled to death by a pack of dogs earlier this week.
Shyamala, among the first of the residents to rush to the spot, said “We were in a state of shock. We were trying to talk to him but by then he had died. I don’t have the courage to visit the place again.”
Another neighbour, Kamalamma, said, “He stepped 10 metres from his house when this happened.”
Many parents are panic-stricken since the incident, as a result of which they are prohibiting their children from stepping outside their houses.
Shabana, another resident, said that they had called two hospitals for an ambulance but none came. They took the victim, Vihaan, to the hospital themselves. Shyamala said that the ill-equipped local primary health centre was of no use in an emergency.
Meanwhile, municipal officials on Thursday cut down bushes in the area and captured around 40 stray dogs. However, the residents said that the work was incomplete.
Municipal official Prem Kumar said, "We are trying our best to remove as many dogs as possible. There are a few strays nearby."
The official said that his hand was fractured once earlier because of stray dogs.
Speaking about other problems the neighbourhood faces, one Prakash said “Many people either smoke ganja or consume liquor near our colony. They create so much nuisance that not only women, but even we fear coming out of the house.”
Shyamala alleged that a man, who was either drunk or high on drugs, knocked at her door at 2 am, while her husband was away, leaving only herself and her daughter to fend for themselves. She said, “This happens with us almost every night.”
Prakash said, “We are afraid of opening the doors as we fear that the intruders will attack us under the influence of alcohol or ganja. In the near absence of streetlights and CCTV cameras, it is a nightmare for everyone in the neighbourhood. Our complaints have fallen on deaf ears. Now, when the damage has been done, they have installed streetlights that are barely good.”
Prakash alleged that the police did not patrol the area and this lacuna is being capitalised by the addicts.
Shyamala said she recently found a dead body in the bushes 80 metres from her house, and she had accidentally stepped on its leg.
Another resident said, “They kill a person and burn the body. It is horrific.”
Prakash said mutton and beef shops discard the offal, leading to 40-50 dogs gathering in the area and sometimes even entering houses.
Another resident complained of snakes in the locality, especially during monsoon.
“Snakes entered my house twice. Since nobody helped when we called, my husband had killed them. A scorpion once bit my neighbour’s daughter,” she said.
