Curb stray menace
The Supreme Court’s latest directive to relocate stray dogs from public places could not have come at a better time. Across Jammu and Kashmir, the stray dog menace has spiralled out of control, turning what was once a minor civic issue into a full-blown public health crisis. The court’s intervention is thus welcome.
In the past three years alone, over 2.12 lakh dog bite cases have been recorded in J&K. Srinagar leads the list with more than 36,000 cases, followed by Anantnag and Baramulla. This year alone, three people, including two children, died of rabies in Kulgam and Rajouri.
The Supreme Court has now directed all states and union territories to identify and secure institutional areas such as schools, hospitals, bus stands, and railway stations, to prevent stray dogs from entering these spaces. It has also ordered that picked-up animals must be kept in proper shelters with food, water, and veterinary care under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, 2023. This balanced approach recognises both, the need to protect people and the duty to treat animals humanely.
However, on the ground, J&K’s Animal Birth Control programme has suffered from lack of infrastructure, and manpower shortage. Between June 2023 and September 2025, only around 49,000 stray dogs were sterilised and vaccinated. The sterilisation programme was even halted for nearly ten months, allowing the dog population to multiply unchecked.
Experts have long warned that open garbage dumping is fueling this crisis. According to existing figures, Srinagar produces over 500 metric tons of waste daily, much of it dumped in the open without segregation. The authorities’ inability to ensure scientific waste management has made the problem worse and put ordinary citizens at risk.
It is time that the UT government treats this as a serious public safety issue. The Supreme Court has shown the way, it is up to the J&K administration to act decisively. Faster sterilisation drives, proper animal shelters, and modern garbage management systems must become priorities. Stray dogs deserve care and protection — but people deserve safety and peace of mind.
