Sakina Tashrifwala
Published on: 01 December 2022 at 20:00 IST
The Gurugram District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission’s interim order, dated November 15, was stayed today by the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The panel, among other directives, has fully outlawed pet dogs of 11 alien breeds with immediate effect.
At the same time, Justice Vinod S Bhardwaj added: “The Municipal Corporation, Gurugram, is directed to ensure that each registered owner should have the dog on a leash when brought out in public places and that it is guarded so that it does not bite anyone.”
“To keep public spaces clean and hygienic, the dog’s owner must also carry an environmentally appropriate disposable bag for collecting the dog’s waste and properly disposing of it. Such registered dog owners should be penalised appropriately for non-compliance.”
In addition, Justice Bhardwaj took into account information gathered by the Commission, which showed that 20,000 fatalities were reported annually from the 77 million dog bite incidents reported on a daily basis throughout India.
The Bench noted that a report based on the internet stated that over 40% of these cases included youngsters, which was undoubtedly a worrying trend that needed to be adequately addressed.
Additionally, Justice Bhardwaj ordered the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram to submit an affidavit from an officer whose status is not below that of the Commissioner. He was asked to include information in his declaration about the procedures the Corporation had taken to guarantee that residents registered their dogs immediately after paying the required fees.
In accordance with a notification the Indian government published on April 25, 2016, it was also ordered to provide information about foreign breed dogs that were prohibited from being imported.
In accordance with Section 311 of the Harayna Municipal Act of 1994, the corporation was also required to guarantee that regulations and bye-laws were followed and to provide information about the registration it had obtained and the amount it had charged.
Additionally, it was ordered to publish a notice requiring all housing societies and households to closely adhere to the bylaws’ requirements; failure to do so will result in legal consequences.