The Noida Authority has launched a city-wide survey to map and monitor stray dogs, a move that comes in the wake of the Supreme Court’s directive to tighten animal birth control (ABC) and public health measures following a spate of dog bite incidents.
According to a TOI report, the exercise will involve Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs), Apartment Owners Associations (AOAs) and local NGOs. Together, they will help create a comprehensive database of the city’s stray dogs - categorising them as sterilised, unsterilised, aggressive or suspected of carrying rabies.
Officials said that sterilised dogs can be identified by a V-notch mark on their ears, making the job of survey teams and volunteers easier. RWAs and AOAs have been asked to submit photographic evidence of unsterilised dogs in their neighbourhoods.
The survey marks a significant shift in policy influenced by the Supreme Court’s evolving position on stray dog management. While the court initially ordered all strays in Delhi-NCR to be moved to shelters, it later clarified that only rabid or aggressive dogs should be confined. Sterilised and vaccinated animals, it ruled, could be released back into their communities.
The court also directed authorities to regulate public feeding of strays by creating designated feeding zones, a move aimed at reducing tensions between animal lovers and residents concerned about safety. As reported by TOI, NGOs will play a central role in the baseline survey, which will extend to every sector and village in Noida. Their task will be to track both numbers and behaviour, categorising animals so that interventions such as sterilisation drives or relocation can be targeted.
The Authority has also set up a helpline (0120-2425025) for residents to register complaints or offer suggestions, with a toll-free number expected to be launched shortly.
Lawyer Anjali Sharma, a former board member of the Animal Welfare Board of India and resident of Sector 15A, stressed the importance of precise data. “For the ABC programme to succeed, the local authority should have an accurate estimate of community dogs. Besides AOAs, dog feeders and animal lovers should be involved as they can help catch dogs humanely and assist in mapping them in markets and villages,” she was cited by TOI as saying. Sharma added that in her locality, sterilisation was managed with the help of security guards who also provided photographic documentation.
Rajiva Singh, president of the Noida Federation of Apartment Owners Associations (NOFAA), described the initiative as “a doable exercise” that would help build consensus, TOI reported. He emphasised that identifying rabid and aggressive dogs should remain a priority, in line with the Supreme Court’s order that such animals must be sheltered and not returned to residential societies.
Noida Authority CEO Lokesh M has directed the construction of two new shelters to accommodate biting and rabid dogs. Until these are completed, such animals will be kept in existing facilities. Meanwhile, anti-rabies vaccination drives are set to continue across the city, with two agencies assigned to maintain strict schedules and detailed records.
The Authority will also map and regulate feeding points in collaboration with residents and animal welfare groups, an exercise expected to balance public health concerns with the rights of animal feeders. Residents reportedly welcomed the survey, noting that an accurate count of stray dogs in Noida was long overdue.
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