Citing the safety of the people, Rajasthan High Court on Monday, ordered Municipal bodies to clear the city roads of stray animals, particularly dogs, without much physical injury to them. This move follows after the Supreme Court on Monday instructed all stray dogs in Delhi-NCR localities to be cleared out since there have been continued cases of dog bites that have caused deaths. It is applicable even to Noida, Gurugram and Ghaziabad.
In a suo motu petition, in which the court assumed jurisdiction of the case, the court issued this direction, in response to an incident of dog bite, and the fear of stray animals responsible in taking lives in the state.
The court, further made it clear that whoever interferes with the municipal bodies, in their work of getting off the stray animals on the roads/colonies/outside paths will have to answer. The municipal official and workers have been accorded a free hand that also includes lodging First Information Report (FIR) against the individuals who come in their way in their work which inhibits the persons who are in an occupation of government’s work of being occupied in carrying out the work.
In issuing a series of directions, a division bench comprising Justice Kuldeep Mathur and Justice Ravi Chirania said, “The Municipal bodies shall also spearhead a special exercise to clear stray dogs and other animals off city roads, with the least possible bodily injury caused, to them. In the event of the individual/persons or a group of persons preventing Municipalities employees in the performance of their duties in ejecting the stray animals off the roads/colonies/public paths, under which Municipal Laws; Municipal Officials/employees will be at liberty to proceed against them accordingly by taking suitable action under Relevant Municipal Laws including lodging of the FIRs against obstructing the path of the public servants/officials in performing their duties.
Jodhpur Municipal Corporation is sought to act immediately to get rid of stray animals inside the premises of AIIMS, Jodhpur and the district court – which are the two locations that have a heavy flow of people.
The authority tasked with patrolling highways, the National Highways Authority and the State Highways Authority, is to patrol the highways regularly and facilitate free movements of vehicular traffic.
Another thing the court required was that the Municipal Corporation should come with numbers or email addresses that the citizens can utilize in lodging complaints against stray animals.
The court, in this case, added that in case any citizen is willing to feed stray animals, they must do so at the shelter home or cattle ponds.
The court said it wants the general population to know that either because of their sentiments or religious believes or because of their love towards the animals, should they wish to feed them or just serve them food and take care of them then they should do so at dog shelters and cattle ponds/ Gaushalas maintained by the Municipalities or private individuals/organizations.
The Additional Advocate General (AAG) has been requested to submit a factual report on the health of dog shelters and cattle ponds and their maintenance.
