(Asian News Hub) – The increasing numbers of stray dogs in Ganderbal district have become a cause of grave concern for the inhabitants of the district who are not able to move around freely.

Locals of several villages in Ganderbal told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that the situation has turned into a serious problem with concerned authorities turning a deaf ear to the public outcry.

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Locals said that herds of dogs can be seen on the prowl at various areas of the district and sub district.

“The increasing number of stray dogs are posing a grave threat to the life of people and the movement of people, especially children, elders and women has become difficult during morning and evening hours,” locals said.

People have alleged that the steep rise in dog population was due to their transportation from urban areas during night hours and have appealed to the concerned authorities to tackle the menace at an earliest so that people heave a sigh of relief.

Inhabitants alleged that the authorities are doing nothing to control the menace.

“Scores of dogs are seen on the prowl at various areas of the district including busy markets of Kangan, Ganderbal and other places,” they said.

Locals said it has become difficult during morning and evening hours to move at ease.

“We are living under threat due to the dog menace. We cannot move freely on roads and go to mosques during wee hours,” said Wani Bilal, a local resident of Ganderbal.

He said that our school going children are vulnerable to attacks by stray dogs which forced us to stop them from attending school.

Locals said that municipal authorities have failed to look into the matter despite repeated requests to them.

Corporation mulls to outsource sanitation, approval sent for necessary action: Dy Mayor

(Asian News Hub) – The Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) is facing an acute shortage of manpower with officials stating it has sent an approval to the concerned authorities to outsource the sanitation in Srinagar.

According to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the officials said that SMC requires a total of 7000 sweepers, but it unfortunately has only 2700, which means the corporation is facing shortage of over 60 percent shortage.

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They said that with the shortage of the manpower, the sanitation has finally got affected, besides pushing the existing manpower to the wall.

“The amount of garbage being lifted per day has also increased as against a total of 300 tons per day, the SMC is lifting 650 tons of garbage every day from Srinagar including its outskirts,” the officials said.

They said that there is a need to increase the manpower to ensure that the sanitation is not affected and the safayi karamcharis are not overburdened.

Meanwhile, Deputy Mayor SMC, Parvaiz Qadri, when contacted admitted the shortage of manpower, saying that such is the situation that the representatives from every wards is suggesting to go for outsourcing of sanitation process here in Srinagar as the fewer number of sweepers are not able to cater all the areas with corporation’s jurisdiction.

He also informed that the corporation has sent an approval to the Executive Committee with regard to the outsourcing of sanitation in Srinagar.

(Asian News Hub) – A plastic factory was reduced to ashes in industrial area of SIDCO Lassipora in Pulwama district in a massive fire that broke out on Monday late night.

Reports reaching the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) said that the fire broke out at the factory namely ‘Stalwart plastics’ on Monday at around 10 PM and engulfed the whole factory.

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Officials said that 44 RR headquarter, which is near the factory rushed to the spot to douse the fire, adding that the fire tenders from defence forces were also roped in to douse the flames.

They said that on priority, the civilians were evacuated and then team of Army, police and fire and emergency started operation to control the fire.

They said that the fire was doused after almost two-hour-long operation, adding that no loss of life has been reported while the industry was reduced to ashes while the cause of fire is being ascertained.