Residents of several housing societies in Pimpri have raised safety concerns over an increase in stray dogs on their premises, reporting incidents involving groups of dogs chasing two-wheeler riders, frightening children and senior citizens, and allegedly biting residents.
The concerns have been reported from Yashwantnagar, Ajmera Colony, Chikhali and Moshi, where residents of Legacy Riverside, Millennium Manor, Vastu Dream, Aishwaryam Hamar and Riverside Residency say the presence of stray dogs has increased within and around society compounds. The issue has become particularly concerning during morning and evening walks and at night, when residents say groups of dogs move through residential areas.
According to the report, residents have described dogs running towards citizens, following two-wheeler riders and creating difficulties for children and older people. A resident quoted in the report also referred to dog-bite incidents, but the supplied material does not provide details of the number of cases, dates, medical records or locations of individual attacks.
The complaints highlight the responsibilities shared by housing societies and civic authorities in managing conditions that attract stray dogs. Residents have specifically called for a survey of stray dogs in society compounds, followed by sterilisation and vaccination drives. They have also sought action under applicable rules for dealing with dogs that pose a safety risk.
Another demand is for a more effective helpline or complaint-registration system. Residents want complaints to be forwarded to the relevant team and addressed within a specified time limit, rather than remaining unresolved after they are submitted. The demand places the response mechanism, not only the number of dogs, at the centre of the safety concern.
Residents have also pointed to open garbage and exposed food waste in and around housing societies as a factor that may encourage dogs to gather near residential buildings. They have urged the relevant department to ensure that household and food waste is not left in the open. The supplied report does not identify a specific municipal programme, response timeline or official statement on the complaints.
The issue affects how residential societies manage shared spaces, waste storage and access points, while also requiring civic intervention for animal birth control, vaccination and complaint response. Any action will need to account for both resident safety and the rules governing the handling of stray dogs.
Vinod Varkhede Patil, identified in the report as a society resident, said that the safety of citizens, particularly children, women and senior citizens, was at risk because of stray dogs in society areas. Residents are seeking a coordinated survey, sterilisation and vaccination campaign, rule-based action and a time-bound response to complaints.
