Delhi Mayor Welcomes Supreme Court Order on Stray Dog Removal

 New Delhi, August 12 – Delhi Mayor Raja Iqbal Singh on Tuesday welcomed the Supreme Court’s directive to remove all stray dogs from the streets of Delhi-NCR within six to eight weeks, describing it as a measure “in favour of the people.”

 Singh said the Delhi Municipal Corporation would carry out the removal process in phases, in line with the apex court’s instructions. The initial phase will focus on identifying sick or diseased dogs and relocating them to shelter homes. “We will implement the order in a phased manner. Dogs suffering from illness will be the first to be shifted to shelters,” Singh stated.

The mayor added that the civic body plans to convert 20 existing sterilisation centres into permanent dog shelters.

The Supreme Court’s Directive

The Supreme Court’s order came during a suo motu hearing on the surge in dog-bite incidents in the National Capital Region. Calling the situation “extremely grim,” the bench directed civic bodies to round up all stray dogs, sterilise them, and move them permanently to shelters—stressing that the order must be “strictly enforced” to make Delhi and its adjoining cities safer.

The court also issued detailed implementation guidelines, including:

• Building shelter capacity for at least 5,000 dogs immediately.

• Hiring adequate staff for sterilisation and vaccination drives.

• Installing CCTV cameras in shelters for monitoring.

• Setting up a public helpline for dog-bite reports.

• Considering the creation of a dedicated task force for enforcement.

The ruling applies to Delhi, Noida, Gurugram, and Ghaziabad and covers both sterilised and unsterilised animals. Authorities have been warned that obstructing the relocation drive will invite strict action.