SC On Stray Dogs: The Supreme Court’s recent order to remove all stray dogs from residential areas in Delhi-NCR has triggered a wave of reactions, with civic bodies, residents, and animal rights activists locked in a heated debate.
On Monday, the apex court directed the Delhi government and municipal bodies in Gurugram, Noida, and Ghaziabad to immediately remove stray dogs from all localities and house them in shelters. The court made it clear that the animals must not be returned to the streets.
While Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) have largely welcomed the decision, animal welfare groups warn that civic agencies neither have the infrastructure nor the funds to undertake such a massive exercise. They caution that the move could worsen human-dog conflict if not handled carefully.
The city has 20 sterilisation centres run with the help of voluntary organisations which can house only around 4,000 dogs at a time. Around 15,000 stray dogs are sterilised monthly in these facilities.
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SC On Stray Dogs: Shelter Shortage Across NCR
The scale of the challenge is clear when looking at current infrastructure:
– Noida: Only one operational shelter home; three more are planned but no land has been finalised.
– Faridabad: No shelter homes at all.
– Gurugram: Around 9,000 stray dogs, with limited facilities to accommodate them.
Delhi alone is estimated to have between 8 to 10 lakh stray dogs, while Noida and Greater Noida have about 35,000.
SC On Stray Dogs: What’s Next?
To comply with the court’s directive, Delhi will need to urgently build new shelter homes in large numbers and identify vacant land for them preferably away from densely populated areas. The shortage of staff means more personnel will also need to be recruited.
SC On Stray Dogs: The Cost Factor
The financial burden on MCD will be enormous. According to Jagran.com, feeding and housing a stray cow costs around Rs 40 per day. If similar costs are applied to dogs, housing 8 lakh strays would require around Rs 3.2 crore daily nearly Rs 90 crore a month.
This does not include the costs for similar arrangements in Noida, Gurugram, Ghaziabad, and Faridabad, which would push the total monthly expenditure even higher.
SC On Stray Dogs: No Updated Data
Adding to the challenge, there has been no recent survey to determine the exact number of stray dogs in the region. The last major survey by the erstwhile Southern Corporation of MCD in 2016 covered only four zones and recorded 1.89 lakh dogs. Since then, estimates are based purely on rough calculations.
SC On Stray Dogs: Earlier Rules vs New Order
Under the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules 2023:
1. Stray dogs were caught, sterilised, and released back into the same area within 10 days.
2. Wards were required to achieve 70 per cent sterilisation coverage.
3. Only dangerous or rabid dogs could be removed permanently on complaint.
Under Supreme Court’s new order:
1. All stray dogs will be caught and housed at sterilisation centre shelters.
2. They will not be returned to their original areas.
3. Civic bodies must pick up any reported stray dog within four hours of receiving a complaint.