Niphad activists dump stray dogs at civic office over inaction

The stray dog menace in the Niphad area of Nashik district has grown sharply. Packs of dogs have been seen across lanes and roads, making children afraid to go to school, while women and elderly residents are also scared to step out. Some people have even been bitten by dogs.

Local residents had repeatedly complained to the Niphad Nagar Panchayat about this, but no action was taken, causing resentment among citizens. Eventually, Yuva Sena workers staged an unusual protest against this, a video of which is now going viral on social media.

Under the leadership of Yuva Sena district chief Vikram Randhawe, some workers went directly to the Niphad Nagar Panchayat office. Notably, they did not come alone but brought four to five stray dogs with them. They took these dogs straight into the chamber of Chief Officer Dheeraj Bhamre and let them loose there. The dogs then began roaming freely around the office premises. To express their protest, the workers also placed garlands of currency notes on the officer's table. Someone filmed the incident, and as soon as it was posted on social media, the video went viral rapidly. Many people reacted saying this was the right way to wake up the administration.

According to the protesting workers, the number of stray dogs in Niphad is rising day by day, but the Nagar Panchayat is not taking any concrete steps about it. They said that although catching the dogs and sterilising them is necessary, no action is being taken on this front. Randhawe said that with Ganeshotsav currently underway, citizens visiting pandals for darshan are finding it difficult to step out because of fear of dogs on the roads. He noted that at night these dogs chase vehicles, causing accidents as well. He said clearly that they had complained repeatedly, but the administration paid no attention, which is why they had to carry out this protest.

The protesters have raised two main demands. The first is that a dog sterilisation drive be started immediately so that their numbers do not increase further. The second is that a separate team be formed to catch stray dogs, along with proper arrangements for housing them. The workers have also warned of a bigger protest if the administration continues to ignore the issue.

The stray dog problem is not limited to Niphad alone but has become a serious issue across Maharashtra. Citizens are hoping that this unusual form of protest will at least wake up the administration. Locals believe that now that the video has gone viral, the officials concerned will take concrete action on the matter.