Delhi CM Rekha Gupta Supports Supreme Court Order to Move Strays from Streets to Shelters

Delhi CM Rekha Gupta Supports Supreme Court Order to Move Strays: Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the dog menace has become huge and assured that the government will come up with a policy and implement the Supreme Court’s order in a planned manner.

The Supreme Court on Monday directed authorities to remove all stray dogs from Delhi-NCR localities and put them in shelters and said the dogs won’t come back to the streets. The top court was hearing a suo motu case initiated on July 28 over stray dog bites leading to rabies in the national capital.

Calling the stray dog bites “very serious”, a bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan passed a series of directions and warned of strict action against an individual or organisation in case of obstruction which may also lead to contempt proceedings.

Also Read: Air India to Suspend Delhi–Washington Flights from September Over Operational Issues

"Delhi people are fed up of stray dogs. We have been discussing on the issue. The Supreme Court's directions are important. We want to provide relief to people. The problem (of stray dogs) has assumed gigantic proportion. We will form a policy and provide relief to people," Gupta said in a press conference.

The Chief Minister’s assurance comes after a series of meetings held by her government on the issue, with Delhi minister Kapil Mishra last week promising a “humane policy” to address the crisis. Gupta said the forthcoming policy would be practical and enforceable, balancing the safety of residents—especially children and senior citizens—with the need of proper shelter and care of the captured dogs.

The Supreme Court in its order directed the Delhi government, municipal corporations and civic bodies in Noida, Ghaziabad and Gurugram to set up shelters for at least 5,000 dogs, staffed with personnel to sterilise, vaccinate and care for the animals. It directed CCTV monitoring of shelters and warned that any individual or organisation obstructing the removal of strays would face contempt proceedings.

Also Read: Karnataka Minister KN Rajanna Resigns After Voter List Remark Upsets Congress Leadership

Gupta admitted that public anxiety over dog bite incidents, including fatal rabies cases, had increased in the last few months. “Our aim is to make Delhi’s streets safe for everyone. We cannot let fear dictate how people, especially children, move around in their own neighbourhoods,” she said.

The court’s directions are based on a suo motu case registered on July 28 after reports of multiple dog bite deaths in the capital, including a 6 year old girl in Pooth Kalan. The matter will be reviewed after six weeks, by which time the Delhi government will have to show substantial progress.

“We respect the Supreme Court’s urgency on this matter and will work closely with all agencies to ensure timely and effective implementation,” Gupta said, calling for cooperation from both civic bodies and the public.

Also Read: India Slams Asim Munir After Nuke Threat: Army ‘Hand-in-Glove’ with Terrorists