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Supreme Court takes suo motu notice of Delhi stray dog attacks; 2,000 dog bite cases daily reported in the city.
Kerala High Court issues interim orders on stray dog menace, defers euthanasia of diseased canines.
Ashtamudi Wetland in Kerala shrinks from 61.4 sq km to 34 sq km, with mangroves and fish-breeding grounds nearly lost.
Authorities directed to file affidavits detailing dog bite incidents, rabies vaccinations and environmental measures.
The Supreme Court of India on July 28, 2025 took suo motu cognisance of a newspaper article highlighting the growing menace of dog bites in Delhi and its outskirts. The report, titled City hounded by strays, kids pay price by newspaper the Times of India described the alarming frequency of such incidents, particularly affecting infants, children and the elderly, some of whom have died from rabies..
The bench comprising Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan noted with concern that “on average, 20,000 dog bite cases are recorded across the country, with nearly 2,000 occurring daily in Delhi alone.”
The report recounted several cases, including that of a six-year-old girl who sustained deep wounds on her leg, arm and palm after a stray dog attack, despite repeated complaints from local residents. Another case involved a four-year-old boy, Abhishek Rai, attacked by a pack of stray dogs on July 23, 2025 in Alipur, Narela, while returning from Anganwadi school.
The court was informed that the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi has announced a scheme for the rehabilitation of stray dogs. However, the Supreme Court stressed that both the Delhi government and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi “must ensure the safety of young children and elderly citizens at any cost.” A notice was issued to both authorities, directing them to respond by August 11, 2025.
The Kerala High Court, on July 28, 2025, issued a series of interim directions to address the threat posed by stray dog attacks in the state. The court deferred a government order authorising the euthanasia of diseased or severely injured stray dogs.
The court directed the Government of Kerala and all Local Self-Government Institutions to implement the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 and the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023.
The principal secretary, Local Self Government Department, was instructed to file a counter-affidavit within two weeks, providing estimates of the stray dog population, incidents of dog bites (including deaths) over the past year and the number of people administered anti-rabies vaccines.
The state police chief was also directed to file a report detailing crimes registered under Sections 291 and 325 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita during the past year. Additionally, the State Disaster Management Authority was asked to produce regulations or notifications concerning compensation to victims of wild animal attacks.
The court instructed the Kerala State Legal Services Authority to establish District Level Committees in all 14 districts within one month, in consultation with the state government. Victims of stray dog attacks may now file fresh claim petitions either physically or online at District or Taluk Service Committee offices. The matter will be heard next on August 19, 2025.
These directions followed the court’s consideration of a letter dated July 26, 2025 from the additional chief secretary to the additional advocate general, detailing recent state initiatives to address the issue.
The Kerala High Court on July 29, 2025 directed the state government and the State Wetland Authority to form a dedicated Ashtamudi Wetland Management Unit within two months. The court stated that two essentials are required to conserve the wetland: (1) a dedicated authority comprising experts and stakeholders and (2) a site-specific, scientific and comprehensive management plan.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Nitin Jamdar and Justice Basant Balaji further directed that an Integrated Management Plan for the wetland be finalised within six months. Until then, the State Wetland Authority must formulate an interim plan to guide the newly constituted Unit.
The order followed a public interest litigation flagging the critical condition of Ashtamudi lake, citing increased unregulated activities, indiscriminate sewage and solid waste discharge, encroachment and degradation of mangrove forests and fish-breeding areas.
Supporting evidence included:
A sanitation survey by the Kerala State Pollution Control Board (2020-2022), revealing severe health risks from poor waste management.
A Report of the Committee on Environment, which recorded drastic shrinkage of the wetland, from 61.40 square kilometres to 34 sq km and a decrease in depth to less than half a metre in some coastal zones.
Petitioners highlighted the disappearance of mangroves and declining livelihoods of local fishing communities, citing threats from tourism, commercial construction, agricultural runoff and plastic waste accumulation in the Kollam and Neendakara backwaters.
“During the hearing of the petition, it became clear that, though the seriousness of the issue is acknowledged, the statutory authorities, namely, the Municipal Corporation, various Government agencies and departments and the Panchayats, are working independently in respect of the various facets of Ashtamudi Wetland,” the court noted.