The Supreme Court of India issued a significant directive on Friday that all stray dogs should be removed from sensitive institutional areas, including educational institutions, hospitals, sports complexes, bus depots, and railway stations in all states and UTs. It further stated that dogs captured from such premises cannot be released back after sterilization and vaccination, as returning them would "frustrate the very purpose" of securing public safety.
The ruling was delivered by a special bench consisting of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and N.V. Anjaria, continuing the court's ongoing suo motu proceeding monitoring dog bite cases across the nation.
Securing Public And Institutional Spaces
The judgment introduces a strict two-part timeline to identify and secure such high-footfall public areas to prevent the entry of strays.
Identification Deadline (2 Weeks): The states and UTs, within two weeks, are to identify all government and private schools, colleges, medical institutions, public transport hubs, and sports facilities.
Securing Premises Deadline (8 Weeks): The authorities, in eight weeks' time, have to ensure that these areas are secured through a physical barrier of boundary walls to prevent the entry of stray dogs.
Nodal Officer Mandate: For upkeep and surveillance, a nodal officer needs to be appointed for each premises. The local municipal bodies and panchayats have to conduct periodic inspections for a period of three months and send their reports to the court.
The bench also said that though the humane Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules are essential, those must be balanced with the paramount need for public safety, particularly due to the "alarming rise" of dog bite cases in these areas.
Stricter Compliance And NHAI Directions
The order comes after a period of frustration for the court over what it termed "widespread non-compliance" from state authorities regarding earlier directions on stray animal management.
Chief Secretaries Summoned: In an unprecedented move, the bench had summoned chief secretaries of most states and UTs over their failure to file compliance reports about ABC implementation.
Indoor Feeding: The order builds upon the court's previous admonition on government servants at the institutional premises feeding the stray dogs within, which is an invitation to them to reside within the spaces of human movement.
Highway Safety: The court also directed the National Highways Authority of India and others to remove the stray cattle and other large animals from national and state highways, which would be subsequently housed in designated cow shelters.
Modified Release Policy
The new order of the court introduces a significant exception to the general Catch-Neuter-Vaccinate-Release (CNVR) model prescribed under the ABC Rules. While the courts had earlier allowed sterilized dogs to be returned to their localities, the latest directive prohibits this outright for dogs picked up from sensitive public spaces like hospitals and schools. The matter would be listed again for hearing after the states and UTs file compliance reports on all the directives.
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