Surat, November 20. Following the historic decision delivered by the Supreme Court on November 7, the removal of stray animals from sensitive areas, including state and national highways across the country, has now become mandatory. The court has issued clear instructions to ensure safety, particularly in hospitals, schools, colleges, and crowded regions.

The court has explicitly stated that captured stray dogs will not be released back into their original locations. As per agency report, the Chief Secretaries of all states have been ordered to strictly enforce these directives and submit a report within three weeks. In light of these developments, a significant meeting was held on Wednesday under the chairmanship of the Deputy Commissioner (Health and Hospital) of the Surat Municipal Corporation. The session was attended by officials from government and semi-government hospitals, railway and bus stations, district education officers, executive engineers, and deputy health officers.

During the meeting, it was decided that appropriate fencing or boundary walls would be constructed to secure the premises of all government and semi-government institutions, private schools, colleges, hospitals, as well as railway and bus stations in Surat city against stray dogs. The entry and exit points of these locations will be controlled and secured. To oversee the work and ensure proper implementation, nodal officers will be appointed in all institutions. Additionally, instructions were issued to organize IEC activities to raise public awareness.

It has been made mandatory to conduct inspections of every institution every three months to ensure that the number of stray dogs does not increase and that these premises do not become gathering spots for animals. The meeting also put forward a suggestion to prepare a comprehensive digital database of the entire campaign, which would facilitate continuous monitoring and effective action regarding the control of stray dogs in Surat. Following the Supreme Court order, the Surat Municipal Corporation has taken swift action and prepared a comprehensive action plan, prioritizing the safety of sensitive areas within the city.

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday emphasized the need for humane treatment of dogs, calling them man's best friends and among the most affectionate creatures on earth. The court directed concerned officials to ensure that conflicts between humans and dogs in the national capital are effectively minimized.

Justice Mini Pushkarna instructed civic authorities and other stakeholders to submit recommendations for the rehabilitation of stray dogs. As per agency report, the court noted that sterilization alone is not a sufficient solution to address the increasing human-dog conflict, stating that although such measures have been in place for nearly three decades, there has been little noticeable change.

The court pointed out that the effectiveness of sterilization has been exaggerated and remarked that the current strategy is inadequate. During the proceedings, it was also brought to the court's attention that around 200 dogs, previously housed in a shelter, may soon be released back onto the streets due to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) planning to demolish the temporary facility.

Further concerns were raised regarding the functioning of existing animal welfare infrastructure. The court noted that various animal birth control (ABC) centers are currently non-operational, and as many as 78 veterinary hospitals have been shut down.

The court also observed that a recent meeting chaired by the Chief Secretary of Delhi only discussed sterilization as a proposed solution, failing to address the broader need for sustainable rehabilitation mechanisms.

The High Court has scheduled the next hearing for September 17. Previously, the court had urged city authorities to formulate an institutional policy for the phased removal and rehabilitation of stray dogs from the streets and neighborhoods of Delhi.

Ahmedabad, Aug 21 (IANS) Gujarat has emerged as one of the states with the highest number of reported dog bite incidents in the country during the previous year, as per Minister of State for Health Prof Satya Pal Singh Baghel.

The Minister was replying to a query during the last monsoon session of Parliament.

Garnering attention for its alarming figures, the state secured the fifth position nationally, with a staggering 1,69,261 documented cases of dog bites.

As many as 1.69 lakh people were bitten by stray dogs in 2022, says the data.     

On an average, 19 people were bitten every hour.

According to the minister, in 2022, Maharashtra reported 45 dog bites per hour, followed by Tamil Nadu -- 42, Andhra Pradesh -- 22, Uttar Pradesh -- 22, Gujarat -- 19, Karnataka -- 19, and Bihar -- 16.

This equates to an average of 464 attacks per day and 19 bites per hour.

Despite the unsettling numbers, there is a notable trend of declining dog bite incidents over the years. The statistics show a decline from 4.31 lakh cases in 2020 to 1.92 lakh in 2021, further dwindling to 1.69 lakh in 2022.

A striking contrast emerges within the data, particularly concerning Ahmedabad.

While the state's overall figures exhibit a reduction in dog bite cases, Ahmedabad paints a different picture. Official records from the Amdavad Municipal Corporation (AMC) reveal a stark increase, registering over 58,000 dog bite incidents in 2022.

This figure exceeds the 51,000 cases reported in 2021 by approximately 7,500 cases.

New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) A 14-year-old boy was attacked by 8-10 stray dogs here in the Rangpuri area while he was answering the call of nature near his house, an official said on Tuesday.

The teenager, who suffered injuries across the body, is currently undergoing treatment at Safdarjung Hospital, a police officer said.

The incident occurred on Monday morning at around 7.30 a.m.

Earlier in March, two brothers -- Anand (7) and Aditya (5) had died after they were bitten by stray dogs near their residence in the city near a forest area.

"There were multiple injuries on his body that seemed to have been caused by some animal bite. Later, it was learnt there are many stray dogs in the forest area that often attack goats and pigs," the police said.