Mohali, Aug. 21 -- The municipal corporation (MC) of Mohali has failed to rein in the growing stray dog menace, with the population now touching nearly 20,000. Alarmingly, around 40 dog-bite cases are being reported in the city every day. Despite the severity of the problem, Mohali still does not have a single dog shelter. Official data reveals that Mohali's urban and rural areas recorded a total of 17,682 dog bite cases in 2024. The city has already reported 9,069 cases up to July this year, averaging approximately 40 incidents per day. The stray dog population has doubled in the past three years, rising from about 9,000-10,000 in 2023 to nearly 20,000 at present. On November 13, 2023, the Punjab and Haryana high court had directed that the state government would be responsible for compensating dog-bite victims, fixing a minimum of Rs.10,000 per tooth mark. It also ordered the formation of compensation committees headed by deputy commissioners (DCs). However, the directives have seen little implementation in Mohali. So far, only two victims have received compensation - one was paid Rs.20,000, while the other received Rs.10,000 after repeated visits to government offices. According to MC officials, one more case is under consideration. In Mohali, the compensation committee is chaired by the DC and includes the municipal commissioner, additional deputy commissioner (Urban Development), civil surgeon, deputy director of animal husbandry, and executive officers of the urban local bodies. MC medical officer of health, Dr Sanjeev Kamboj, admitted that no fresh census has been conducted, but estimated that the stray dog population is at around 20,000. "Currently, 8 to 10 dogs are being sterilised every day," he said. However, experts have warned that the problem will be worsened if two-third of the dog population is not sterilised within a year. Residents too are demanding urgent action. Mohinder Pal Singh, president of the Residents Welfare and Development Committee, Sector 79, said, "It is a landmark decision by the Supreme Court and must be implemented here as well. It is not that we hate stray dogs - we love them too. But what about when a stray dog attacks a child, a woman, or an elderly person? It has become a terror."...