Holding the use of horse-driven carriages or Victorias — the popular mode of transport that emanated from the British era — in Mumbai for joyrides as completely “illegal”, the Bombay High Court on Monday directed the Maharashtra Government to ease out all such carriages from streets of the city in one year.
In its verdict on a public interest litigation and a bunch of intervener applications, a HC Division Bench comprising Justices AS Oka and AS Menon held that the use of ponies or horses for joyrides was a violation of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.
“We hold that the use of horse driven carriages/victorias in the city of Mumbai for joy rides is completely illegal. All the authorities of the State shall ensure that use of such horse driven carriages and/or victorias in the city of Mumbai shall be completely stopped on expiry of a period of one year from today,” the two-member HC Bench ruled, in its verdict on the petitions filed by the Animals and Birds Charitable Trust, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and others.
The Judges directed the State Government to come out with a scheme for rehabilitation of the families of those who are associated with the business of running carriages driven by the horses in the city of Mumbai for joyrides. “The State Government shall also formulate a scheme for rehabilitation of the horses used for plying victorias in the city of Mumbai. If any Animal Welfare Organisation comes forward to take care of the horses, the State Government shall be free to consider the said option,” the HC bench noted.
The Bench asked the Government to identify the number of families affected within the stipulated time of six months, formulate the schemes and shall place it on record of this Court on or before December 31,2015.
The PETA had in its petition stated that the very act of forcing the horses to ply on concrete roads damages their hooves, legs and feet, was cruel to animals in question
“Further, none of the horses made to work have ready access to food or water and they often collapse from exhaustion or dehydration. Horse carriages in a congested city like Mumbai also cause accidents. Regulation will not stop these horses’ suffering, it’s high time to make Victorias history,” the petitioners stated.