Maneka Gandhi: 'Cannot understand how anybody could take this (SC order on stray dogs) seriously … Appeal to PM to intervene … this is not a sensible thing'

Indian Express

5 days ago

Apart from politics, former BJP MP and ex-Union Minister Maneka Gandhi is known to most for her advocacy work on animal rights. Gandhi is the founder of People for Animals, the country's largest animal welfare organisation. In an interview, she weighs in on the Supreme Court's order on Monday that all street dogs in the Delhi National Capital Region (NCR) be relocated to shelters within eight weeks. Gandhi says the order poses a massive logistical challenge for civic bodies and will only complicate efforts to reduce incidents of dog bites as well as protect the canines. Excerpts:
* What are your chief concerns about the Supreme Court order directing the complete removal of stray dogs from the roads of NCR?
They (civic authorities concerned) will have to put three lakh dogs in Delhi into shelters that will allow them to live. You will have to build 3,000 such pounds on average; these will have to be at places that are not residential colonies or inhabited by people, or agricultural land. Good luck with that.
* In your estimate, what will be the cost of running these pounds?
You have to build a kitchen, have to have a watchman, at least five people per place for feeding, for taking care and for cleaning up dog waste — you will have to have 1.5 lakh people added to the burden of the state's expenditure every month; at least 500 vans to pick up these dogs confronted by local feeders creating a situation every day, fighting in every part (of towns and cities); in just the last two hours, I have received 2.73 lakh emails from feeders and others saying that we will fight this. At these pounds, you will also need power, kennels, and other arrangements; they will be fed at least twice a day; it will cost around three to four crore per week. That comes up to about Rs 15 crore per month.
* Will such facilities be able to cater to other needs of stray dogs apart from just lodging?
The dogs that they pick up, some will have tick fever, others will have distemper, and some will be pregnant. How will they separate them?
* Why do you think the situation around stray dogs reached this stage in the city?
It has become a political flashpoint because of the MCD (Municipal Corporation of Delhi) that has created the problem; their mismanagement has created this big problem. Today, the MCD is saying we have 77 places where dogs can be kept. These 77 places have been lying idle for 20 years now; what is their size? None of them are hospitals, but are clinics with one doctor and the size of a bedroom. How many dogs will you put in those? Over and above that, you have to spend on what you will feed these animals, something that is currently being done for free. Getting attendants and making these arrangements, some of these places need to be repaired. And all this will take time, it will take two years, three years, four years. It cannot be done (in eight weeks).
* Last week, you met Delhi Minister Kapil Mishra to discuss the stray dog issue and said a way forward had been chalked out. What will happen to it now?
We had a meeting with the minister, representatives of the MCD standing committee, and government officials over how we could reach a point where we all get what we want: which is fewer dogs (on the streets), no bites, and harmonious living. We arrived at somewhat of a conclusion with the minister and explained to him that the 14 specific points raised were the only solution. And, he was happy to understand that; he said he would talk to the Chief Minister about it as well. I am sure this solution would have started being put in place if this order had not come.
* What happens next?
I cannot understand how anybody could take this seriously and the reason why I say this with all responsibility is because a two-member Bench headed by Justice Maheshwari gave an extremely balanced and reasonable judgement a few months ago where they again pointed out that the MCD needs to do ABC (animal birth control) programme better and relocation needs to stop, feeding places have to be made so that they (the dogs) don't get on everybody's nerves. Now, you have a two-member Bench of the same court giving a diametrically opposite judgment. So, who should India listen to? You can't do both together, so there is something wrong here. The lawyers will take something to the Chief Justice. I hope the Prime Minister himself intervenes because he has always shown compassion when push comes to shove.
* Is there any solution in sight at the moment?
I can only appeal to the CM (of Delhi, Rekha Gupta) and the PM that this is not a sensible, reasoned thing. Even worse than this (the SC order) is Rajasthan because they gave an order yesterday afternoon and the judge said they were giving it because because of the SC had given the judgement in the morning; so they just echoed it. That is so even more dangerous because they have ordered all the dogs from all over Rajasthan to go into pounds, there will be about 15 lakh; what do you do with them? Rajasthan has no ABC programme. It has not even gone that route. Then Indore has said we will also do it (give a similar order); this is a bimari (illness).
* How do you see the order getting implemented on the ground?
If the 3 lakh dogs (native to Delhi) go out, 3 lakh dogs will come in from surrounding areas because there is availability of food. What will you do then? Delhi has a monkey problem. The monkeys stay in the trees because of the dogs below. If you do not have dogs, you will have monkeys on the ground, and then you will want to want to eliminate that species as well?