Directs civic bodies to ensure coordinated action from various agencies
Srinagar, Jun 03: The High Court of J&K and Ladakh has held that the hazard of stray dogs cannot be left entirely to the NGOs and that coordinated action from various agencies is required to deal with the issue.
A bench of Chief Justice N. Kotiswar Singh and Justice Wasim Sadiq Nargal directed authorities to report to the court as to how effectively various decisions taken can be carried out to deal with the issue of stray dogs.
The bench observed “both the JMC and SMC have engaged the services of NGOs, but it appears that it would require sustained participation of the authorities rather than leaving the issue entirely in the hands of the NGOs. Inasmuch as, from the decision taken by the Committee, it appears that it cannot be left entirely to the NGOs concerned to deal with the issue arising out of stray dogs.”
The bench while hearing a PIL on the matter of stray dogs said “the issue relating to stray dogs is certainly a complicated one, which would require very coordinated action from various agencies and authorities including NGOs working in the field and cannot be dealt with in a simple manner.”
It held that as far as UT of Jammu and Kashmir is concerned, a State Level Implementation and Monitoring Committee has been constituted to monitor the various issues relating to street dogs and its 3rd meeting was held on 13 February this year.
The committee, comprising commissioners of SMC and JMC, took a number of decisions and were reproduced by the court in its order.
Among others, the committee has underlined that compliance with Animal Birth Control Rules 2023 must be ensured for running any ABC programme.
It has underscored that an ABC Monitoring Committees be constituted at local authority levels in accordance with Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023, schedule II rule 3.
Director ULBK and ULBJ have been asked to identify land or abandoned buildings in each district for operationalization of the ABC programme.
“They shall run mobile hospitals in collaboration with district administrations and Animal Husbandry department for immediate stop-gap arrangement.”
They shall also send proposals for procuring subsidized mobile hospitals under the Government of India scheme immediately, it said.
“JMC/SMC/DULBJ/DULBK”, the committee said, “shall submit a monthly progress report to the State ABC Committee” adding “IEC activities, awareness programmes to be carried out on regular basis and hoardings shall be put by corporations for adoption of stray animals.”
Assistance may be taken from AWBI and subject matter experts to prepare it, the committee said.
Keeping in mind that equines carry zoonotic diseases and are used widely across the UT, the committee said the policy must include a registration regime which is granted after health examination.
An updated dairy policy to be made for all dairies in urban areas, to prevent abandoned and free roaming cattle in the cities, it said. The policy, the committee said, shall be compliant with guidelines of the Central Pollution Control Board, mandated by the NGT.
The court said “we are of the view that since certain decisions were taken, which appear to be in the right direction to deal with the issue, it would be more appropriate that the authorities concerned implement the same in its true spirit.”
It said that while both the JMC and SMC have engaged the services of NGOs, it would require sustained participation of the authorities “rather than leaving the issue entirely in the hands of the NGOs.”
The court said that it has also been apprised that constitution of Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) within the Urban Development department would also go a long way in dealing with the various issues arising out of stray dogs in terms of Rules 10(5), 10(6) and 10(7) of the Animal Birth Control Rules 2023.
