The long-pending plan to establish a permanent large-scale dog shelter in Delhi has moved a step closer to reality, with the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) signing a tender worth Rs 1.80 crore for the construction of a dog shelter in Dwarka.
Envisioned as one of the Capital’s largest animal shelters, the proposed facility is expected to accommodate around 1,000 to 1,500 stray dogs and is aimed at strengthening the city’s stray dog management infrastructure amid rising concerns over dog bites and overcrowded Animal Birth Control (ABC) centres.
The Dwarka shelter project has been under discussion within the civic body for several months and was again highlighted earlier this year during the presentation of the Standing Committee budget by chairperson Satya Sharma. In the budget announced in January, the MCD earmarked Rs 10 crore for stray dog management and related infrastructure.
Apart from the Dwarka project, the civic body is also planning to develop two additional permanent animal shelters — one at Bela Road in Civil Lines and another in Mukundpur in north Delhi.
“We are planning to make a new centre in Bela Road and Mukundpur. We have allocated a five-acre land for the same in Mukundpur, while assessment for land in Bela Road is still in process,” Sharma said.
She said the Mukundpur shelter would also include vaccination facilities for stray animals. However, when asked about the MCD’s earlier proposal to establish shelters in every zone, Sharma admitted that land allocation remained a major hurdle.
“At the moment, it is not possible considering land allocation is a tough task and we have limited space,” she said.
The development comes amid increasing focus on stray dog management following recent observations by the Supreme Court while dismissing pleas challenging the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) on stray dogs. The SOP stated that stray dogs picked up from public places should not be released back into the same area after sterilisation.
The court observed that while citizens have the right to live with dignity under Article 21 of the Constitution without fear of dog attacks, the situation would not have reached “alarming proportions” had states and Union Territories implemented the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules effectively from the outset.
Sharma also acknowledged that Delhi’s existing animal welfare infrastructure remains under pressure. Of the 20 ABC centres earlier operated by 13 NGOs, seven have remained shut since October over alleged non-compliance with Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) norms.
Meanwhile, the MCD is also working on identifying and operationalising designated feeding points for stray dogs across the city. According to Sharma, around 735 feeding points have been identified, though work to make them functional is still underway.
Earlier, The Tribune had reported that only 14 feeding points had become operational in the Capital.
