Hyderabad: Dog and monkey menace has emerged as a key issue in the ongoing municipal election campaigns in Telangana, following the gram panchayat polls. Candidates that TOI spoke to said that wherever they went, locals questioned them on how they intended to address the issue if voted to power.“There is no doubt that the dog and monkey menace has become a major poll issue in municipal elections. I am assuring residents that I will work with officials and seek expert advice to address these problems,” said Madikonda Srinu, Congress candidate from Ward 2 of Parkal municipality in Hanumakonda.He said he was looking for a permanent solution, pointing out that dogs and monkeys often entered residential areas in search of food. Srinu also said he had promised financial assistance, including 5,000 on the birth of a girl child, support during weddings by providing a mangalsutra, and 5,000 in the event of a death. Candidates said that most municipalities lacked even basic civic amenities, with voters also flagging poor drainage, bad roads, potable water shortages, and improper waste disposal.‘Need permanent solution’“There is a serious cleanliness problem in our municipality. Waste from chicken and mutton markets is being dumped on roads or into drains, which is aggravating the dog menace. I will resolve all these issues,” said Anugu Sridhar Reddy, BJP candidate from Ward 8 of Kamareddy municipality. Explaining the severity of the situation, he said, “We have the Indira Gandhi stadium here, where there are nearly 30 dogs at any given time. Children and even the elderly are scared to go there. We will handle the issue as per the law and come up with a solution.”Residents, meanwhile, said they were frustrated and wanted a permanent solution for the monkey menace as well. “Monkeys visit our locality daily, on a regular basis more than milkmen and vegetable vendors do. People are scared to even step out. Earlier, cages were placed several times to catch and relocate the monkeys, but they keep coming back. Likewise, there are too many dogs in our area,” said Anil B, a voter from Ward 7 of Raikal municipality in Jagtial.
