Dogs bite millions of people across the country every year, shocking figures from the states.:

News Topical, Digital Desk : The severity of the stray dog bite problem in India is evident from the data submitted by states to the Supreme Court. The figures are shocking. They reveal that millions of people are bitten by dogs every year.

Last year, 164,009 people were bitten by dogs in Uttar Pradesh, while 166,232 were reported in Assam, 142,948 in Madhya Pradesh, and 115,046 in Kerala. The severity of the situation has been noted even by the Supreme Court in its order.

The Supreme Court, in its order, based on some estimates, said that despite significant progress in public health care, India has the highest number of rabies-related deaths in the world. Nine states also provided four years of dog bite data in affidavits filed with the Supreme Court.

Looking at the data submitted by the states, the most shocking figures are from Assam. Dog bite incidents have increased significantly there. In 2022, 39,919 people were bitten by dogs in Assam. This number increased to 94,945 in 2023, and the following year, 2024, the number reached 166,232. In January of this year alone, 20,900 incidents occurred.

The situation is similarly dire in Uttar Pradesh. In 2022, 191,361 people were bitten by dogs in Uttar Pradesh, while this number increased to 229,921 in 2023. In 2024, the figure was 164,009. In January of this year, there were 20,478 dog bites in Uttar Pradesh.

Incidents are also rising steadily in Madhya Pradesh. In 2022, 66,018 people were bitten by dogs, while in 2023, 113,499 dog bite incidents were reported. In 2024, the number increased further, reaching a total of 142,948. In January of this year, there were 16,710 dog bite cases in Madhya Pradesh.

The situation in Kerala is also dire. Such incidents are steadily increasing there. In 2022, there were only 4,000 dog bites in Kerala, while the number increased to 71,606 in 2023. In 2024, the figure crossed one lakh, with a total of 115,046 cases reported. In January of this year, 11,649 people were bitten by dogs.

In other states, the figure hasn't reached 100,000. It's still in the thousands, but everywhere the figure is above 10,000. The court also noted in its order that dog bite incidents are steadily increasing. The court noted some such incidents at educational institutions, hospitals, sports complexes and stadiums, bus depots, and railway stations.

The incidents mentioned in the order from hospitals also include the incident of two doctors, paramedical staff and an attendant being bitten by a stray dog outside the radiology department inside the campus of King George Medical College, Lucknow.

The Supreme Court has said in its order that the biggest brunt of dog bites is borne by children, elderly and economically weaker sections, who are not only vulnerable but also do not get timely rabies prevention facilities.