Delhi civic body directs officials to identify 3-4 dog feeding spots in each ward within a week

The instruction comes after the Supreme Court last month directed that stray dogs should be sterilised and vaccinated before being returned to the area from where they were picked up.

Sharma stated that a sub-committee formed by the corporation to look into the dog issue has not submitted its report despite the Supreme Court order. (File)

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) Monday instructed all zonal deputy commissioners to start identifying at least three to four dog feeding spots in each ward, adding up to around 1,000 such points across the Capital.

Satya Sharma, Chairperson of the Standing Committee, issued a letter directing to submit a report within a week on the feeding spots identified. “The councillors of all 250 wards, deputy commissioner, sub-inspector, assistant sub-inspector and sanitation workers have to mark the feeding points within two-three weeks,” Sharma said.

This comes after the Supreme Court last month modified its earlier order on confining stray dogs in Delhi-NCR to dedicated shelters, and instead directed that the dogs should be returned to the area from where they were picked up after sterilisation, deworming and vaccination.

Story continues below this ad

It also said that dedicated feeding areas should be created for stray dogs, and that those who feed them on streets would face proceedings. “Municipal authorities shall forthwith commence an exercise for creating dedicated feeding spaces for the stray dogs in each municipal ward. The feeding areas shall be created/ identified keeping in view the population and concentration of stray dogs in the particular municipal ward. Gantries/ notice boards shall be placed near such designated feeding areas, mentioning that stray dogs shall only be fed in such areas,” it had said.

“With the consent of the local municipal councillor, three-four places should be identified and instructions should be issued to the concerned departmental officers to create feeding points for stray dogs there and make proper arrangements for the same and submit a report to the undersigned within a week,” the letter issued on Monday read.

Sharma stated that a sub-committee formed by the corporation to look into the dog issue has not submitted its report despite the Supreme Court order. “It is often seen that people feed dogs on the road and other public places, which spreads dirt, and the same dogs bark at others, run after them and try to bite them,” the letter read, adding that the civic body has been repeatedly receiving complaints of dog bites from people.

Last month, Sharma visited around five Animal Birth Control centres across the city, along with the members of the sub-committee and animal welfare consultants, and urged them to ramp up sterilisations. The team had informed that at the ABC centre in Dwarka’s Sector 29, they had discussed how kennels and other facilities can be constructed in a vacant space of 2-2.5 acres, and asked the engineering department to submit the plan.

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram