August 22, Friday: The Supreme Court modified its order of 11th August on the stray dogs in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR). According to Hindustan Times, the modified rule said the stray dogs would be picked up from the streets and confined to dedicated shelters, and they would be released in the area where they were collected from, after sterilisation, deworming, and vaccination.
A three-judge bench consisting of Justices Vikaram Nath, Sandeep Metha, and N V Anjaria, nonetheless, specified that the directive would not apply to dogs infected with rabies or those potentially carrying the virus, as well as those exhibiting aggressive behavior. For such dogs, the bench said, would be sterilised and immunised, and under no circumstances should be released back into the street. “Furthermore, as far as possible, such stray dogs shall be kept in a separate pound shelter after sterilisation and immunisation,” the bench said. The court already directed municipal authorities to begin an exercise for creating dedicated feeding spaces for stray dogs in each municipal ward.
According to the modified rule, “The feeding areas shall be created and identified keeping in view the population and concentration of stray dogs in a particular municipal ward. Notice boards shall be placed near such designated feeding areas, mentioning that stray dogs shall only be fed in such areas. Under no condition shall feeding of the stray dogs on the streets be permitted. The persons found feeding the dogs on the streets in contravention of the above direction shall be liable to be proceeded against under the relevant legal framework”.
“The aforesaid directions are being issued in view of the reports regarding untoward incidents caused by unregulated feeding of stray dogs, and to ensure that the practice of feeding dogs on roads and in public places is eliminated, as this creates great difficulties for the common man walking on the streets,” the court ordered.
The bench also directed municipal authorities to create a dedicated helpline number for reporting incidents of violation of the order. “On such a report being received, appropriate measures shall be taken against the individuals/NGOs concerned.”
According to the published order report of Supreme Court, on August 11, the two-judge panel instructed to swiftly set up dog shelters and give a progress report on the infrastructure progress in the NCT Delhi area within 8 weeks, and to immediately relocate the stray dogs to those shelters. In an unexpected turn, the matter was moved to a three-judge panel the next day after some lawyers alerted the Chief Justice of India that those orders were inconsistent with prior judgments delivered by other benches.
A two-judge bench comprising Justice JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan, on July 28, took suo moto cognisance of a news item titled "City hounded by strays and kids pay price" published on The Times of India Delhi edition. Earlier, the order was just around Delhi NCR, but now the Supreme Court wants to move pan-India region as this order gives a pragmatic approach.
