Panel to seek court approval to relocate or kill dangerous stray dogs
In the wake of the growing menace of stray dogs in the city, the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NMC) is set to approach the court seeking permission to relocate or even kill the canines if found posing a threat to the public. The corporation has directed the Municipal Commissioner to explore the legal aspects and file a revision petition in this regard so that effective steps could be taken to check the incidents of dog bites. The recent incident of a dog killing a two-month-old girl in Nabi Karim, Central Delhi was raised in the Standing Committee meeting of the North Delhi Corporation on Wednesday where members of the ruling and Opposition parties unanimously advocated for stern measures to rid the public places and residential areas of stray dogs.
“The threats posed by menacing dogs need to be dealt with seriously. The corporation should explore the legal aspects and make0s submissions before the court seeking permission to kill or relocate the diseased dogs so as to prevent the recurrence of such incidents,” said Standing Committee Chairman Mohan Bhardwaj while directing Municipal Commissioner to chalk out a detailed plan of action against stray dogs.
Bhardwaj said sterilisation of dogs and their vaccination was not sufficient as they could not prevent dog bites. Hence, it was required to relocate the dogs if they develop dangerous symptoms. He said a campaign will be launched in a time-bound manner to sterilise dogs on the spot and minimise the menace. Officials said the corporation is likely to start its dog sterilisation centers at Rohini and Timarpur in a month’s time besides hiring mobile vans for the purpose in every ward. It also plans to develop a veterinary hub at Bhalswa in Outer Delhi.
Notably, there are over 5.5 lakh stray dogs in the Capital. Nearly 20 thousand cases of dog bite are reported every year in the municipality-run hospitals even as the three civic bodies claim to sterilise more than 30 thousand dogs every year. The maximum cases of dog bite were reported in the North Delhi Municipal Corporation, where 8,987 patients reported of rabies, during the last one year.