Chandigarh civic body on its toes after SC order on removal of stray dogs

The Municipal Corporation (MC) faces a big challenge to implement the Supreme Court (SC) order for removal of stray dogs from the premises of schools, colleges, hospitals and institutions.

Sources in the civic body said the officials are examining the orders and will soon come out with the plan to implement the order in Chandigarh. Notably, the city is witnesses around 100 dog bite cases every day.

The SC on Friday ruled that stray dogs will no longer be allowed on the premises of schools, hospitals, transport hubs or sports complexes, and directed that they be removed and relocated to shelters after sterilisation and vaccination.

An MC officer said they presently has no big shelters for the keeping all dogs removed from these places. The shelter in Raipur Kalan and another center in Sector 38 has a limited capacity of dogs. A proposal to increase their capacity is already under consideration. Even so, the number of stray dogs in Chandigarh is more than 15,000.

Another MC officer said, as per the order, the dogs should not be released back to the same place, but should be kept in shelters. Thus, additional arrangements will have to be made for shelter the stray dogs till the time of their relocation.

Officers said if sufficient space is not available within the city, they will have to look for the other options in Punjab and Haryana as well.

Kamaljit Singh Panchhi, Chief Advisor of the Federation of Sector Welfare Association Chandigarh (FOSWAC), urged the Chief Secretary of the UT Administration to issue necessary directions to the concerned departments of both the Administration and the MC for the prompt implementation of the orders.

Panchhi added that the menace of stray dog bites was not merely a public health issue, but a serious matter of human safety and civic responsibility.

Ajay Jagga, advocate and member of the Administrator’s Advisory Council said that guidelines should be implemented strictly.

RK Garg, social activist said, in Chandigarh, a large number of dogs are found outside hospitals and schools and inside Panjab University, PGI and the Sector 16 Hospital.

He further added that the MC has recently notified the dog bylaws, under which designated feeding spots have been proposed. He added that in view of the SC directives, the civic body must implement dog bylaws strictly.