A concerned citizen, Anubhava Shrivastava Shahai, raised the issue with NHRC. In her complaint, she pointed out that the state governments have completely failed in controlling the stray dog population.
Haryana: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has asked the Animal Welfare Board, Haryana, to investigate the rising dog bite cases in the state and submit an Action Taken Report (ATR) within four weeks.
The issue gained attention after a news article highlighted government data presented in the Lok Sabha by the Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying.
The data revealed that 21,95,122 dog bite incidents were recorded across India in 2024. Among these, 5 lakh victims were children, and 37 deaths were reported due to dog attacks.
A concerned citizen, Anubhava Shrivastava Shahai, raised the issue with NHRC. In her complaint, she pointed out that the state governments have completely failed in controlling the stray dog population.
She criticized the authorities, stating that “irregular sterilisation and inadequate infrastructure“ have made it difficult to implement the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Guidelines effectively.
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According to her, another major issue is the lack of animal shelter homes to monitor aggressive and ferocious dogs. She mentioned that the 2023 ABC Guidelines require authorities to keep such dogs under observation, but due to poor enforcement, the stray dog population continues to rise, causing problems for the public.
She also alleged that monitoring committees at the central, state, and local levels are either not working properly or have not been formed in every state and district.
Considering the seriousness of the issue, NHRC Assistance Registrar (Law) Brijvir Singh directed,
“Let the complaint be transmitted to the Chairman, Animal Welfare Board of India, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Faridabad, Haryana, with directions to get the allegations made in the complaint looked into and to submit an Action Taken Report within four weeks for perusal of the Commission.”
Additionally, NHRC instructed that a copy of the complaint be attached and forwarded for necessary action as per the Commission’s directions. The authorities are required to submit the Action Taken Report (ATR) within four weeks from the date they receive the letter.
With dog bite cases on the rise, there is growing concern among citizens regarding safety and the need for effective population control of stray dogs. Activists and residents are urging authorities to ensure proper sterilisation, more shelter homes, and strict monitoring of stray dogs to prevent further incidents.
The NHRC’s directive to the Haryana Animal Welfare Board is a step towards addressing these concerns. Now, all eyes are on the authorities to see what actions they take to resolve this pressing issue.
