NEW DELHI: In a significant directive aimed at enhancing public safety and hygiene, the Supreme Court on Friday ordered the removal of stray dogs from key public areas, including educational institutions, hospitals, bus stands, and railway stations.
A three-judge special bench, comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and N V Anjaria, issued a series of instructions during a hearing on the persistent issue of stray dogs.
1. Key Directions Issued:
- Relocation and Sterilisation: Authorities have been instructed to relocate stray dogs to designated dog shelters after they undergo sterilisation.
- Fencing and Prevention: The court directed authorities to prevent the ingress of stray dogs into both government and private educational institutions and hospitals to curb dog bite incidents.
- Adequate fencing of these institutions must be completed within eight weeks to ensure the animals do not re-enter.
- Nodal Officers: Nodal officers will be appointed to ensure the effective implementation of these orders.
- Highways and Expressways: The bench also addressed the issue of other stray animals, ordering the removal of cattle and other stray animals from highways and expressways, and their relocation to designated shelters.
- The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and other relevant authorities were directed to undertake a joint drive to identify problem stretches on highways where stray animals are frequently found.
The Supreme Court had previously noted on November 3 that it would pass interim directions to tackle the “grave menace” of dog bites in institutional areas, often aggravated by employees feeding and encouraging stray dogs on the premises.
The matter has been slated for further hearing on January 13.
