A day after ordering removal of stray dogs from Delhi-NCR, the Supreme Court directed all leftover food be disposed of in covered bins to stop canines from entering its premises. The move aims to curb dog bites, maintain hygiene, and ensure safety.
New Delhi: On August 12, one day after the Supreme Court ordered that all stray dogs in Delhi and nearby NCR areas must be removed from residential colonies, the court has now also asked the authorities to make sure leftover food is thrown only in covered dustbins.
This step is to stop stray dogs from coming into the Supreme Court premises looking for food.
The court issued a notice saying that many times stray dogs have been seen walking in the corridors and even inside the lifts of the Supreme Court complex.
The notice stated,
“It has been observed that the incident of roaming of stray dogs in the corridors and also inside the lift in and around the Supreme Court Complex has increased significantly. Thus, the following directive is issued with immediate effect: All leftover food items must be disposed of exclusively in properly covered dustbins. Under no circumstances should food be discarded in open areas or uncovered containers.”
The order also explained why this step is important, saying,
“This measure is crucial to prevent animals from being attracted to and scavenging for food, thereby significantly reducing the risk of bites and maintaining hygiene standards. Your cooperation in implementing this directive is essential for the safety of all.”
This comes after the Supreme Court on Tuesday gave a strong ruling that all stray dogs in Delhi and NCR must be moved from residential areas to proper dog shelters.
The reason is the increasing number of dog bite cases, some of which have led to rabies deaths.
The court said the dog shelters must have trained professionals who can handle the dogs, carry out sterilisation and vaccination, and ensure that the animals do not escape back into public areas. Calling the situation of stray dogs in the capital city “extremely grim”, the bench warned that
“any individual or organisation blocking the picking up of stray dogs by authorities will face the strictest action.”
The civic bodies in Delhi-NCR have been told to build proper shelters for the dogs and submit a detailed report within eight weeks.
According to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), from January to June this year, there were 35,198 reported cases of animal bites in the city. In the same time period, 49 rabies cases were also reported.
A Bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan made it clear that all stray dogs must be moved to shelters without any delay.
“There should not be any compromise in undertaking the exercise,”
the Bench said. It also gave a strong warning that
“any person or organisation found opposing these directions may face strict action, including for contempt of court.”
The judges directed the Delhi government to build proper dog shelters and report back to the Court within eight weeks about the progress.
These shelters, the Bench stressed, should have enough trained staff to carry out sterilisation and vaccination of the dogs.
They also ordered that the shelters must be equipped with CCTV surveillance to ensure no dog is released back to the streets after being taken in.
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