The Delhi High Court has said that municipal authorities are not expected to completely eliminate all stray animals, including cattle, monkeys, and dogs, from the streets and municipal areas of the national Capital.
Justice C Hari Shankar was hearing a contempt of court petition alleging non-compliance with directions issued in a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition in 2019 regarding stray animal management.
The judge said that the duty of the authorities is to take concerted efforts to rehabilitate such animals and prevent them from posing a threat to residents and traffic.
Upon examining status reports submitted in the contempt case, the court noted that the estimated cattle population in Delhi stood at around 8,367 post-COVID-19 pandemic, with adequate space available in the city's four Gaushalas to accommodate abandoned cattle.
Acknowledging the steps taken by authorities to address the issue of stray animals, the court concluded that these efforts substantially comply with the directions issued in the previous order.
It said that the directions should be understood in a meaningful manner, recognising that complete eradication of stray animals is not feasible or expected.
The court clarified that there was no disobedience of its directions and stressed the distinction between contempt and enforcement.
It said that if the petitioner remains dissatisfied with the measures taken, they may pursue appropriate legal avenues to address their grievances.
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