E-Paper
How Delhi plans to remove stray dogs within SC-set timeline, where they'll be taken: Mayor shares outline
As the Delhi govt vowed to create an action plan, several animal rights activists were detained at India Gate for demonstrations against the SC order
Amid the outrage over the Supreme Court's order to remove all stray dogs across Delhi-NCR, Delhi Mayor Raja Iqbal Singh on Tuesday has welcomed the order and said the city is working towards its implementation.
Speaking to news agency ANI, the Delhi mayor said the SC order — which calls to remove all stray dogs within eight weeks from Delhi and its adjacent cities Noida, Ghaziabad and Gurugram — will be implemented across the national capital in a “phased manner” by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi.
The top court's order was welcomed by the Delhi government, too. As the BJP government vowed to create an action plan, several animal rights activists, dog lover and other protestors were detained at India Gate for demonstration against the SC order.
How the Delhi government plans to remove stray dogs
Mayor Singh said the removal of strays will be carried out across Delhi in a phased manner, with the first phase focusing on dogs who are infected with rabies and prone to biting.
“MCD has 20 operational shelter homes… In the first phase, we will pick dogs that are prone to biting or are rabies-infected. Later, we will focus on other stray dogs. All this will be done with the help of NGOs. We will soon launch a helpline,” he said.
The mayor added that a meeting with all agencies across Delhi-NCR is in the works to create dog-free areas and to scale up the sterilisation programme.
"CM Rekha Gupta never says no to any project, and she thinks about public welfare. In shelter homes, the dogs will be treated as pets," he told ANI.
Also Read | Will come up with comprehensive plan to relocate Delhi stray dogs: CM Rekha Gupta
SC orders removal of stray dogs in Delhi-NCR
The Supreme Court on Monday directed Delhi-NCR authorities to begin removing stray dogs from all localities and house them in dedicated dog shelters to be set up by civic bodies.
The order was given by a bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan, who further added that no captured animal will be released back on the streets.
"If any individual or organisation comes in the way of picking stray dogs or rounding them up, we will proceed to take action against any such resistance," said Justice Pardiwala, warning action against animal rights groups, activists and other citizens.
"NCT Delhi, Gurugram, Noida, Ghaziabad, MCD, and NMDC shall start picking up stray dogs from all localities, particularly from more vulnerable localities. It is for the authorities to look into and, if they have to create a force, do it at the earliest. However, this should be the first and foremost exercise to make all localities free of stray dogs. There should not be any compromise in undertaking the exercise," said the order issued by the bench.
