Court Orders Removal of Stray Dogs from Delhi

(MENAFN) India’s highest judicial authority has mandated that officials in Delhi and its surrounding areas relocate all stray dogs from public roads to designated animal shelters.

The court highlighted worries about the escalating "menace of dog bites leading to rabies" and set an eight-week timeframe for the authorities to complete this operation.

Municipal sources report that Delhi’s stray dog population is approximately one million, with neighboring regions such as Noida, Ghaziabad, and Gurugram also experiencing a surge in their numbers.

India is home to millions of stray dogs, and the country is responsible for 36% of global rabies-related fatalities, according to the World Health Organization.

"Infants and young children, not at any cost, should fall prey to rabies. The action should inspire confidence that they can move freely without fear of being bitten by stray dogs," the court stated, as cited by a legal news portal on Monday.

The court addressed the matter following reports of an increase in dog bite incidents across Delhi and other major metropolitan areas.

It instructed the establishment of multiple shelters throughout Delhi and its suburbs, each with the capacity to accommodate a minimum of 5,000 dogs.

These facilities are required to include sterilization and vaccination services, along with surveillance via CCTV cameras.

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