Madhya Pradesh High Court to develop model city for stray dog control
A division bench will select a location on November 30 to implement a pilot approach for managing stray dog populations.
The Madhya Pradesh High Court plans to designate one city in the state as a model to manage the stray dog menace, according to Urban Acres.
A division bench consisting of Chief Justice Alpesh Kogje and Justice Vivek Jain heard petitions regarding stray dogs across the state. The proceedings included a suo motu petition following an incident in 2022 where a four-year-old child was injured by a pack of dogs.
The court is acting on Supreme Court directions to ensure major public areas, such as hospitals, schools, colleges, and railway stations, remain free of stray dogs. The Supreme Court previously referred the monitoring of these directions to state high courts.
While the Madhya Pradesh government stated that a status report on these guidelines has been submitted, the amicus curiae noted that efforts have been limited to major cities. The amicus curiae suggested that smaller towns, villages, and semi-urban areas also require an action plan.
All stakeholders agreed to the proposal of adopting one city to develop a model approach that could later be expanded across the state. This model aims to address safety in public spaces like parks and bus stands through coordination between the state government and local agencies.
The court is expected to decide which city will serve as the model during the next hearing on November 30.