Former Union Minister and animal welfare activist Maneka Gandhi on Monday strongly criticized the Supreme Court's order regarding stray dogs in the Delhi-NCR region. She labeled the ruling as impractical and detrimental to the ecological balance of the area. Gandhi also raised concerns about the validity of the Supreme Court's decision, warning that it could incite major protests among the public.
3,000 shelters will have to be constructed
Maneka said that there are about 3 lakh dogs in Delhi. She argued that removing them from the streets would necessitate the construction of 3,000 shelters, each equipped with drainage, water, a shed, a kitchen, and a watchman. The estimated cost for these arrangements would be around Rs 15,000 crore. She questioned whether Delhi has the financial resources to support such an initiative.
Rs 5 crore would be required weekly to feed the captured dogs
Maneka said that additionally Rs 5 crore would be required weekly to feed the captured dogs. She said that this decision could face widespread opposition from the community.
Addressing the validity of the Supreme Court's ruling, Maneka pointed out that just a month prior, a different bench of the Supreme Court had issued a more balanced verdict on the same issue. She questioned which decision should be deemed correct. She said that the earlier ruling should take precedence as it was the final decision.
Dogs would arrive from neighboring areas
Gandhi further warned that the removal of stray dogs might lead to new challenges. She predicted that within 48 hours, the 300,000 dogs would arrive from neighboring areas like Ghaziabad and Faridabad due to the availability of food in Delhi. She cautioned that the absence of dogs could lead to an influx of monkeys, drawing parallels to historical events in Paris during the 1880s when the removal of dogs and cats resulted in a rat infestation.
Dogs are natural controllers of rat populations
Emphasizing the role of dogs as natural controllers of rat populations, Maneka Gandhi warned that the enforcement of this order could lead to conflicts on the streets. She noted that capturing the dogs would likely provoke confrontations with local feeders who care for them. Gandhi questioned the rationale behind destabilizing Delhi with such measures. Meanwhile, the Delhi government has stated its intention to comply with the Supreme Court's order in a phased manner.