The big Supreme Court order on stray dogs has people divided, with a section backing the directive to pick up the canines of Delhi-NCR streets within eight weeks as “relief” and another slamming the same, warning that it has the potential of worsening human-dog conflict and is “illogical”.
The Supreme Court on Monday ordered picking of all stray dogs in Delhi-NCR within eight weeks, directing that they be housed in dog shelters to be created by appropriate authorities.
RWAs welcome SC stray dog order
Several individuals and groups, including Residents’ Welfare Association (RWAs), have welcomed the order. Atul Goyal, president of United Resident Joint Action (URJA), an apex body of RWAs in Delhi, said dog bite cases have been rising steadily, and this order will help provide relief from the problem.
“Along with stray dogs, cattle on the roads have also started attacking people and causing traffic jams. The authorities should take similar action for such animals as well,” PTI news agency quoted Goyal.
Delhi mayor Iqbal Singh also backed the Supreme Court order, saying the people of Delhi were facing problems.
“I welcome Supreme Court’s order as the people of Delhi were facing a lot of problems. We will try our best to implement this order in the next 6 weeks. We don’t have shelter homes, but we have 10 operational sterilisation centres. We can make temporary and permanent shelter homes. MCD and the Delhi government will ensure that no one faces problems due to stray dogs. We will make an action plan after holding meetings with our officers,” he told news agency ANI.
Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta on Monday said the stray dog menace in the city had reached “gigantic” proportions and assured that her government would soon roll out a comprehensive policy to address the problem in line with the Supreme Court’s directives, adding that it will be “planned and systematic”.
‘Illogical’: PETA, others slam SC order
Animal protection bodies as well as several politicians have flagged concerns over the Supreme Court order on stray dogs in Delhi-NCR, calling it “impractical, illogical, and illegal”.
The India wing of the American animal rights animal protection organisation People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) termed Supreme Court’s order to send all stray dogs in Delhi-NCR to shelters within eight weeks as “impractical, illogical, and illegal”.
PETA India said that the forced removal of Delhi’s community dogs would create “chaos and suffering” for both the animals and residents. PETA India advocacy associate, Shaurya Agrawal, said the Delhi government had 24 years to implement sterilisation programmes, “implement the ABC rules”. Delhi has 10 lakh dogs and only half of them are sterilised… Housing them in shelters is impractical. It is very difficult. This is going to create chaos and problems. Removal of dogs is inhumane, is cruelty in itself, and the conditions within the shelters are going to be very bad,” ANI quoted him as saying.
Animal rights activist and former Union minister Maneka Gandhi called the directive “impractical”, “financially unviable” and “potentially harmful” to the region’s ecological balance.
Maneka Gandhi said that the scale of the task makes it “unworkable”.
“You have three lakh dogs in Delhi. To get them all off the roads, you’ll have to make 3,000 pounds, each with drainage, water, a shed, a kitchen, and a watchman. That will cost about ₹15,000 crore. Does Delhi have ₹15,000 crore for this?” PTI quoted Maneka Gandhi as saying.
Later, Maneka Gandhi also said the order is not “doable”, adding that it is a “very strange judgment given by someone who is in anger”. “Angry judgments are never sensible,” she said while speaking to ANI.
The Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisations (FIAPO) also on Monday called the Supreme Court order “shocking”, adding that it runs “contrary to global public health guidance, India’s own laws, and humane, evidence-based practice.”
The Supreme Court, hearing a suo motu case over dog bites in national capital on Monday, directed that no stray canines will be released back.
In a warning, the Supreme Court said, “If any person or organisation comes in way of picking up of stray dogs, action will be taken.”
