Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Moved by two petitions on stray dog management, the Indore bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court said on Wednesday, “more needs to be consistently done to solve this issue” even as it acknowledged the measures taken by the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) to check the canine menace.
The court also directed the IMC and other civic bodies to ensure strict compliance with the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, 2023. The two-judge division bench comprising Justice Vivek Rusia and Justice Gajendra Singh was hearing the two public interest litigations (PILs) filed by animal welfare activist Vandana Jain and former municipal corporator Mahesh Garg.
The petitioners argued that the IMC had failed to effectively implement sterilisation and vaccination programmes, leading to a sharp rise in dog bite cases. According to their submissions, sterilisationnumbers increased from 10,804 to 36,883 between 2016-17 and 2023-24, while municipal spending escalated from Rs 47.3 lakh to Rs 3.47 crore.
“However, dog bite cases more than doubled from 20,410 to 43,976,” the petitioners claimed. Jain advocated for a structured and humane stray dog management policy. She emphasised the need for a comprehensive census of stray and pet dogs, a digital pet registration system and the establishment of adequate shelter homes.
Garg, on the other hand, pushed for better civic policies to address public safety concerns. The IMC defended its efforts, stating that it had sterilised over 2,51,122 dogs and vaccinated 55,189 under the National Rabies Control Program. It also cited budgetary increases and public awareness initiatives, arguing that a city-wide dog census was not mandatory under the ABC Rules, 2023.
After hearing both sides, the bench observed, “It is evident to us that the respondents have undertaken necessary measures in accordance with the ABC Rules of 2023 and are progressively implementing sterilisation and vaccination programmes, though much more needs to be consistently done to solve this issue.”
The court directed the IMC and all municipal authorities to strictly comply with ABC Rules, 2023. It said the state government and local authorities must allocate adequate funds for sterilisation, vaccination, and establishment of animal shelters as per Supreme Court directives in Animal Welfare Board of India.
It also said that the municipal authorities must conduct awareness campaigns to educate the public on responsible pet ownership, safe feeding zones, and rabies prevention, and that the State Animal Welfare Board must periodically review the ABC programmes and submit reports to the concerned departments.
