Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet PS Arora’s bench issued a notice to the MCD and scheduled a hearing for August 7, alongside the main case.
NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court requested a response from the MCD regarding a petition seeking the confiscation of horse-drawn carts, known as ‘tongas’, which are banned in the national capital.
READ ALSO: Delhi High Court Issues Ultimatum to MCD Over Unpaid Salaries and Pensions
This plea, filed by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), alleges the MCD’s failure to implement its resolution to phase out tongas and support their owners.
Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet PS Arora’s bench issued a notice to the MCD and scheduled a hearing on August 7, alongside the main case.
PETA’s application was submitted within an ongoing petition concerning animal rights activists’ efforts to enforce a resolution from January 4, 2010, aimed at ending tonga use and aiding owners’ transition, recognizing the hardships faced by equine animals pulling overloaded carts.
READ ALSO: Delhi High Court Issues Ultimatum to MCD Over Unpaid Salaries and Pensions
PETA’s counsel pointed out the continued operation of tongas in public areas like Azadpur Mandi and Narela Old Anaj Mandi, despite the ban. They referenced a letter from the ICAR-NRCE, indicating three horses involved in illegal tonga operations in Azadpur Mandi tested positive for Glanders, a contagious disease potentially lethal to humans.
PETA urged the court to enforce the MCD’s resolution by confiscating horse-drawn carts and demanded an action report detailing seizures.
Previously, in August 2023, the court noted an MCD status report stating the seizure of only 58 animals and 13 carriages since February 2021. It was revealed that there were more than 170 tonga license holders in Delhi, with the MCD continuing to issue new licenses at a higher fee. Consequently, the court instructed the MCD to halt the issuance of new licenses temporarily.
