Early Times Report
JAMMU, May 26: In a suo-moto Public Interest Litigation taken up by the Jammu & Kashmir High Court, Chief Justice N. Kotishwar Singh and Justice Moksha Khajuria Kazmi have directed the concerned authorities to strictly adhere to the proposed action plan mentioned in the status report to tackle the rising incidents of dog bites in Ladakh. The court took note of the alarming increase in registered dog bite cases, from 854 in 2017 to 2229 in 2022, with 220 reported cases in January 2023 alone. The situation has not only instilled fear among the local population but has also become a concern for tourists. Additionally, street dogs attacking wild herbivores has raised serious issues for the community and cattle owners.
The Division Bench acknowledged the status report filed by the respondents, which outlined a future course of action to mitigate the problems caused by stray dogs. The court emphasized that if the proposed measures are appropriately implemented, they can serve as an interim solution to address the menace posed by stray dogs. The respondents were directed to ensure strict compliance with the proposed course of action and submit an action taken report by the next hearing date, along with an advance copy to the opposing party.
The proposed course of action includes an Animal Birth Control program, sector teams for sterilization, maintaining records of sterilized dogs and dog bite cases, conservation of specific dog breeds, guidelines for pet dogs, food waste management, construction of a dog sanctuary, census of stray dogs, public awareness programs, an animal helpline, vigilance at check posts, and collaboration with NGOs and the police department.
The court listed the case for further hearing on June 14, 2023, along with the compliance report from the authorities. |
