Chennai: Across urban India, civic bodies working extra time after SC order on stray dogs are scrambling to meet the Supreme Court’s eight-week deadline. The order requires authorities to remove stray dogs from hospitals, colleges, railway stations, and bus depots, and move sterilised ones to fenced shelters under supervision.
Municipal officials, however, call the target unrealistic. They explain that most cities lack proper shelters, trained staff, and financial support to manage such a large operation.
In Chennai, for example, plans to build six shelters in collaboration with the state animal welfare board are still in early stages. The corporation expects ten new Animal Birth Control Centres to open by December, while two exclusive facilities for rabies-affected and aggressive dogs are coming up in Perungudi and Madhavaram.
“We are working round the clock, but without proper shelters and funds, meeting the Supreme Court’s deadline is a huge challenge,” said a senior civic officer.
With thousands of strays on city streets, relocation within weeks seems nearly impossible. To reduce risks, major hospitals in Egmore and Kilpauk plan to install barriers to keep dogs away, while others are considering trench gates or bollards. Still, open spaces and multiple access points make enforcement difficult.
At Chennai Central and Koyambedu bus terminus, stray dogs continue to follow passengers and feed on waste. Overflowing garbage and leftover food worsen the problem every day.
Animal welfare activists have raised alarms, warning that mass relocation could overcrowd shelters and harm the animals. They urge authorities to strengthen sterilisation drives instead of displacing community dogs from their home areas.
For now, civic bodies working extra time after SC order on stray dogs are caught between legal deadlines and the realities of humane animal management.
–IANS
