New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday directed authorities in Delhi, Noida, Gurgaon and Ghaziabad to immediately round up stray dogs and move them to shelters, describing the situation caused by the menace as “grim” and requiring urgent action.
A bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan ordered the Delhi Government, civic bodies, and other local authorities to begin removing strays from all areas, especially vulnerable localities, and to construct facilities capable of housing 5,000 to 6,000 dogs within six weeks.
The court said the shelters must have adequate staff for sterilisation and immunisation and that no dog should be released back into public spaces. CCTV monitoring should be installed to ensure dogs are not taken out, it added.
“How to do it is for the authorities to look into. If they have to create a force, do it at the earliest,” the bench said, noting that this was only the first step towards making all localities free of stray dogs. It warned of action against anyone obstructing the removal of dogs.
The court emphasized that infants and children must be protected from rabies and be able to move freely without fear of dog attacks. “No sentiments should be involved,” it said.
The bench also called for a dedicated helpline to report dog bites and rabies cases within a week, with authorities required to act within four hours of a complaint. It questioned the rationale behind existing rules that require immunised strays to be returned to the same locality.
The Supreme Court sought a status report on the implementation of its directions when the matter comes up again in six weeks. It had taken suo motu cognisance of the issue on July 28 following media reports about the growing stray dog menace.