Delhi’s civic authorities have been tasked with an overwhelming mandate after the Supreme Court on Monday ordered the rounding up of all stray dogs in the capital within two months, a feat experts say is well beyond the city’s current capacities. As reported by HT, a cocktail of inadequate infrastructure, manpower shortages, severe funding gaps and outdated data has left officials and animal welfare groups warning that the mission is not only unfeasible but also potentially catastrophic.
Why is the order so challenging?
At the core of the crisis is the sheer scale of Delhi’s stray dog population. While the last comprehensive census in 2009 put the figure at 560,000, more recent estimates by a Delhi Assembly sub-committee in 2019 raised that number to 800,000. Officials now believe it has swelled close to a million, though no formal survey has been conducted in years, HT reported.
With no permanent dog shelters and only around 20 Animal Birth Control (ABC) centres run by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) in partnership with NGOs, the capital’s holding capacity is grossly inadequate. These facilities, meant as temporary post-operative shelters for sterilisation, can house just 3,500–4,000 dogs at any one time, meaning more than 96% of the city’s strays would have nowhere to go, even if every bed was repurposed, officials informed.
A financial and logistical minefield
Feeding nearly a million dogs could cripple the already cash-starved MCD. Standing committee chairperson Satya Sharma was cited by HT as saying that even at a bare minimum Rs 40 per dog per day, the feeding bill alone would amount to Rs 3 crore daily, over Rs 1,000 crore annually. This figure excludes additional costs for staff, transportation, medical care and new infrastructure. Payments to NGOs for sterilisation are already delayed, despite a set fee of Rs 1,000 per dog.
Former MP and animal rights champion Maneka Gandhi called the SC’s timeline “impossible”, HT reported. “They would need 1,000–2,000 centres so dogs don’t fight, all located away from residential areas. Construction alone would cost Rs 4–5 crore per centre… They’d be looking at spending around Rs 10,000 crore - money the Delhi government simply does not have.”
Veterinary guidelines stipulate at least 12 sq ft of kennel space per dog during sterilisation, but permanent sheltering would require 40–45 sq ft each to prevent stress-linked aggression and disease. Ravindra Sharma, former director of veterinary services, was quoted by HT as saying, “You can’t just pile dogs into overcrowded sheds - they will fight, spread disease and die in large numbers.”
Operational realities: Staff, space and law
Currently, only two dog-catching vans operate in each of the city’s 12 administrative zones, a workforce far too small to capture and transport even a fraction of the estimated population. Even the Supreme Court’s directive to prioritise “ferocious” dogs has exposed operational gaps, as authorities scramble to identify and manage just 12,000 such animals citywide.
HT reported that the MCD has asked for lists of “aggressive” dogs based on complaint histories, but officials privately admit capturing even these is stretching resources to breaking point.
A further complication is legal: as per the Animal Birth Control (Dogs) Rules, 2023, community dogs must be sterilised, vaccinated and then released back to their location, not held indefinitely. Bypassing this process, as some warn, could open the door to legal challenges and worsen human-animal conflict.
Outcry from animal welfare groups
Animal welfare organisations, as per HT, have condemned the Supreme Court’s approach. “This is not public safety - it is an inhumane approach that will backfire,” said Sanjay Mohapatra of House of Strays. Gauri Maulekhi of People for Animals accused Delhi’s civic bodies of inflating sterilisation figures and failing on basic care standards. “Existing NGO shelters are overcrowded. Without capacity, any large-scale capture will end in disaster.”
Experts further highlighted that effective dog population management requires sustained sterilisation coverage of at least 70% in each area, something that the present system has failed to achieve. Activist Sonya Ghosh, who set up feeding points across Delhi, criticised the minimal capacity of existing ABC facilities.
A looming crisis?
As civic bodies hunt for possible shelter sites among community halls, unused municipal buildings and 77 government veterinary facilities, all unequipped for long-term care, there is mounting fear that Delhi could see overcrowded animal pounds, rampant disease outbreaks, public complaints and severe strain on finances and civic administration.
Many experts, cited by HT, agreed that the court’s eight-week deadline is neither operationally grounded nor humane. “Rushing this process would create more problems than it solves,” cautioned Maneka Gandhi, warning of the risks of mass cramming and territorial aggression among dogs.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
