(IN) RWA takes animal body to court

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RWA takes animal body to court

 

 

Harish V Nair, Hindustan Times

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New Delhi, May 11, 2010

First Published: 01:13 IST(11/5/2010)

Last Updated: 01:14 IST(11/5/2010)

 

Five months after the Delhi High Court, on a plea by dog lovers, directed the

Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) to identify spots across the capital for

feeding stray canines, the panel finds that the task may not be that easy.

 

Protests against the move reached a new level on Monday.

 

The Resident Welfare Association (RWA) of a high-rise residential complex for

central government employees —M S Apartments on KG Marg, abutting Hyderabad

House, Civil Services Society and Andhra Bhawan — has dragged the Board to the

court for identifying a feeding spot within the campus “despite protests”.

 

The RWA virtually questioned the Board’s power to allocate a feeding spot in

densely-populated areas.

 

The court had, on December 18, 2009, asked the Board to find designated places

in all colonies in consultation with RWAs, SHOs and animal welfare organisations

of each area.

 

Representing M.S. Apartment, which houses nearly 600 central government

officials, lawyer K S Bhati submitted before Justice Siddharth Mridul: “AWBI

fixed the feeding point despite RWA’s objections. Their own guidelines provide

that thickly-populated areas should be avoided.”

 

Bhati said two feeding points had already been fixed with the consent of RWAs on

the by-lanes outside their campus and there was no need for any within it. RWA

President Ajay Pandey says in the petition seeking their impleadment (request to

hear them) case: “Complaints of dog bites is rising in our campus. While

children find it difficult to play, many senior citizens are afraid to go for a

walk. They also complain they cannot sleep during night because of barking.”

 

The RWA’s complaints are pending with the NDMC and the National Commission for

Protection of Child Rights.

 

Justice Mridul had issued notices to the Delhi Government, AWBI, the NGOs

representing dog lovers and sought their responses by August 31.

 

The court had given directions for identifying designated spots for feeding dogs

after activists led by Sonia Ghosh and Jasmine Damkewala of Citizens for Welfare

and Protection of Animals said their volunteers were being attacked by locals

and members of RWAs, while feeding and immunising dogs against rabies.

 

AWBI has pledged support to the idea for the designated spaces, saying: “The

purpose achieved through feeding and confining dogs to localities they inhabit

is to make sterilisation and vaccination possible — a major rabies control

measure.”

 

Founder of NGO Citizens for Welfare and Protection of Animals Soniya Ghosh said:

“It’s a small hiccup. There are no differences as such. Things will be sorted

out through talks.”