The news that Supreme Court has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report about incidents of dog bites leading to rabies must have attracted the attention of many in the country, particularly in cities like Jammu and Srinagar, where the menace of stray dogs has reached up to an alarming level.
The need of the time is that all stakeholders should work in cohesion and convergence so that rabies can be completely eradicated. It is significant that the concerned stakeholders should start with an exclusive campaign across J&K and for that matter in the entire country, in a manner akin to the campaigns for prevention of Malaria, TB, HIV/AIDS, COVID-19, etc because this disease is not less in magnitude and dangerous outcomes.
In this context, reportedly the bench of Supreme Court judges comprising Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan has termed the news item published in an English daily’s Delhi edition as very disturbing and alarming because it contained some alarming and disturbing figures and facts regarding spread of rabies. Though the aforesaid report contained the figures related to the Capital of the country, the scenario in other cities is also challenging and therefore all eyes are on the Supreme Court now to give a remedy and save lives from this preventable disease. Rekindling hope among the people especially those who have to work outside during the odd hours and face this menace quite often, the aforesaid SC bench has placed the order of taking suo moto cognizance over the issue along with the aforementioned news report before the Chief Justice of India for appropriate orders”.
Taking the case of J&K, the threat of rabies is growing, particularly in urban centers like Srinagar and Jammu, where rising stray dog population and limited awareness pose significant public health risks.
Cases of dog bites are frequently reported, but excuses of not taking effective action to deal with the growing population of stray dogs and gaps in medical help, awareness on the issue and civic bodies’ lethargy have been allowing rabies to act as a silent killer.
In Jammu & Kashmir, Dog‐bite incidents jumped sharply from ~22,000 (2022) to over 51,000 (2024). While no human rabies deaths are officially confirmed by government data in 2022, 2023, or 2024, credible news reports revealed that four people succumbed to rabies across 2023–2024 in Kashmir valley and three in Jammu, including one recent case of a man who delayed medical care after a dog bite. Two rabies deaths in one year were reported from Ramban District (2023). One was a police officer bitten in May 2023 who died in August after symptoms appeared. Another was a 27‑year‑old civilian victim, also fatally afflicted by rabies following a bite, with delayed treatment cited as a factor.
Health officials reiterated that rabies is 100% fatal if untreated, but also entirely preventable with prompt vaccination. However, it is imperative for civic and health administration to take urgent steps to curb the menace of stray dogs and to save lives.
