The Supreme Court has mandated the proper disposal of leftover food following a surge in stray dogs seen roaming the corridors and even entering elevators within the court complex.
In response to the growing number of such incidents on the premises, the court administration issued an immediate directive: all food waste must be discarded in securely covered bins. Dumping leftovers in open areas or uncovered containers is now strictly prohibited.
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The measure aims to deter animals from being attracted to the premises in search of food, thereby minimising the risk of dog bites and promoting better hygiene across the complex.
This directive follows a broader move by the Supreme Court, which, just a day earlier, ordered the removal of all stray dogs from the streets of Delhi-NCR and their relocation to designated shelters. The Court emphasized that once relocated, these animals must not be released back into public areas.
Calling the rise in stray dog attacks “extremely grim,” a bench comprising Justices J.B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan issued a series of directives and cautioned that any individual or organisation obstructing the implementation of these orders could face strict consequences, including contempt of court.
“If any individual or any organisation comes in the way of such force picking up stray dogs and rounding them up, and if it is reported to us, we shall proceed to take strict action against any such resistance,” the bench said.
The Court also took a sharp stance on the role of animal activists and “so-called lovers” of strays, questioning whether they could bring back the lives of children lost to rabies. “Will they put life back into those children? When the situation demands, you have to act,” the bench remarked.
During the hearing of a suo motu case initiated on July 28 concerning rabies-related deaths linked to dog bites in the capital, the Court directed the Delhi government, along with the municipal bodies of Gurugram, Noida, and Ghaziabad, to ensure the relocation of all stray dogs to designated shelters. These facilities must be properly staffed for sterilisation, immunisation, and overall care, and equipped with CCTV cameras to guarantee that no dog is released back into public spaces.