The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) is grappling with significant financial challenges following a Supreme Court order mandating the relocation of stray dogs from the Delhi-NCR region to shelter homes. The estimated daily cost for this operation is a staggering ₹11 crore, encompassing expenses for food, transportation, sanitation, medical care, and staff. This poses a major hurdle for the MCD, which already operates under financial constraints. The Supreme Court’s directive presents a complex undertaking, with the daily expense per dog estimated to be ₹110. MCD officials are awaiting the formal court order to finalize the implementation strategy, yet preliminary meetings are underway to assess costs and potential shelter locations. The daily expenditure for each dog encompasses provisions for sustenance, conveyance, hygiene, medical attention, personnel salaries, and utility charges. The initial plan focuses on a select group of “a few thousand” dogs, specifically those involved in biting incidents or suffering from illnesses. The MCD currently sterilizes over 350 dogs daily, incurring a cost of approximately ₹1,000 per dog for the sterilization process. The Supreme Court’s comprehensive order directs Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram, and now Faridabad, to establish shelter homes for at least 5,000 dogs within 6-8 weeks and to commence immediate dog-catching operations. To manage the process, the MCD is considering microchipping the dogs to track their vaccinations and sterilization details. A large shelter home is being contemplated on an 80-acre plot in Ghogha Dairy, with additional locations also under consideration, such as Dwarka Sector 29. However, the scale of the transfer will depend on the final court order.
