Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Aug 11: The Supreme Court on Monday directed the authorities to shift all the stray dogs from the residential localities in the entire Delhi National Capital Region (NCR) and cautioned that any organisation trying to block the exercise would face the strictest action.
The top court’s significant order comes amid a rise in cases of dog bites in Delhi, leading to rabies deaths. The bench of Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice R Mahadevan is hearing the matter after taking note of a news report on the rising incidents of stray dog attacks. The court said it would hear arguments only from the Centre, and no petitions from dog lovers or any other party would be heard on this subject.
The top court issued the directions to the Delhi government and civic bodies in Gurugram, Noida and Ghaziabad to begin immediate removal of stray dogs from all localities and house them in shelters, saying the animals must not be returned to the streets.
Following the Supreme Court’s big order, the Delhi government said it would ensure its timely implementation. The animal lovers’ organisation, PETA, however, expressed reservations against the top court’s order warning that large-scale displacement is both “unscientific” and ineffective.
PETA India’s Senior Director of Veterinary Affairs, Dr Mini Aravindan, issued a statement questioning the effectiveness of mass removal. “Instead of wasting time, effort, and public resources on ineffective and inhumane displacement drives, an effective sterilisation program is still the solution and urgent need. Other important efforts would include a closure of illegal pet shops and breeders that contribute to animal abandonment, and encouraging the public to take in a dog in need from an animal shelter or the street,” the PETA statement read.
“We are not doing this for us, it is for the public interest. So, no sentiments of any nature should be involved. Action should be taken at the earliest,” Justice Pardiwala said. “Pick up dogs from all localities and shift them to shelters. For the time being, forget the rules,” he told amicus curiae Gaurav Agarwala, who suggested the steps that can be taken to address the stray dog menace.
When Justice Pardiwala sought Solicitor General Tushar Mehta’s opinion on the matter, he was told that a site in Delhi had been identified for relocating stray dogs, but the plan was stalled after animal rights activists obtained a stay order. “All these animal activists, will they be able to bring back those who have fallen prey to rabies? We need to make streets absolutely free of stray dogs,” the bench said, adding that it won’t allow any adoption of stray dogs either.
Among the solutions suggested to the court was the adoption of stray dogs, but Solicitor General Tushar Mehta raised concerns that people may take the dog in for a few days and then let them out again. The bench then clarified that no one would be allowed to adopt a stray dog to stop authorities from moving it to the shelter.
Civic authorities in the Delhi NCR region spanning the national capital, Noida, Ghaziabad and Gurugram, have been directed to immediately build dog shelters, move stray dogs and update the court. These shelters, the court said, must have professionals who can tackle dogs, carry out sterilisation and immunisation and these dogs should not be let out. CCTVs, the court said, must be installed to ensure that dogs cannot escape from these shelters. The civic authorities have also been instructed to start a helpline for reporting dog bite cases. “Round up all stray dogs from all localities, whether sterilised or unsterilised,” the court said.
Mr Mehta told the court, “We cannot sacrifice our children just because of a few dog lovers.” The court said civic authorities can decide how they carry out this task and that they can form a dedicated force if needed. Anyone blocking the exercise would face action for contempt of court, it warned.
The court noted in its order that the “situation is grim” and “immediate steps need to be taken.” “NCT Delhi, MCD, NMDC shall at earlier start picking up stray dogs from all localities, from more particularly vulnerable localities and cities. How to do it is for the authorities to look into and if they have to create a force, do it at the earliest. However, this should be the first and foremost exercise to make all localities free of stray dogs. There should not be any compromise in undertaking any exercise,” the court said.
The order added, “However, what is important, and without which the entire exercise would go futile, not a single stray dog should be released and if we know that this has happened, we will take stern action.” The court also noted that the availability of rabies vaccine is a major concern. “The authorities concerned, more particularly the government Of NCT Delhi, are directed to put detailed information about the place where such vaccines are available, the stock of vaccines and the number of persons who report for treatment on a monthly basis.”
According to official data from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, a total of 49 rabies cases were reported in the national capital between January and June this year, and 35,198 animal bite incidents were reported in the capital during this period.
The PETA’s Dr Mini Aravindan in his statement said, “Communities think of neighbourhood dogs as family, and the displacement and jailing of dogs is not scientific and has NEVER worked. Per a population survey conducted in 2022-23, Delhi has around 10 lakh community dogs, with less than half sterilised. Forced removal of some 10 lakh community dogs from Delhi’s streets will cause uproar in communities that care deeply for them and chaos and suffering for the dogs on a large scale. It will also ultimately do nothing to curb the dog population, reduce rabies or prevent dog bite incidents,” the statement read.
Dr Aravindan pointed to the 2001 government requirement for sterilisation and vaccination of community dogs, which she said also has the effect of calming their behaviour. “Had the Delhi government implemented an effective dog sterilisation programme, there would hardly be any dogs on the road today,” Dr Aravindam said.
Under the directions, the Delhi government must, within six to eight weeks, create shelter capacity for at least 5,000 dogs as an initial step. These facilities must be staffed with sufficient personnel for sterilisation and vaccination, equipped with CCTV monitoring to prevent any release, and designed to scale up in the future.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the stray dog menace has assumed gigantic proportion and assured that the government would soon come up with a policy and implement the SC’s order in a planned manner.
“Delhi people are fed up of stray dogs. We have been discussing on the issue. The Supreme Court’s directions are important. We want to provide relief to people. The problem (of stray dogs) has assumed gigantic proportion. We will form a policy and provide relief to people,” Ms Gupta said in a press conference. The Delhi government has also held a slew of meetings on the issue, with minister Kapil Mishra last week saying that the government would come up with a humane policy.
