Mohammad Hanief
In response to the mounting concerns over the growing stray dog population and its impact on public safety, the Government of Jammu & Kashmir has issued a detailed order on the constitution of committees at both the Union Territory and district levels. The subject of the order-linked to the Supreme Court’s ongoing Suo Moto Writ Petition concerning the issue of children being endangered by stray dogs-reflects the urgency and seriousness with which the administration is now approaching this persistent civic challenge.
The move comes at a time when Jammu & Kashmir, particularly its urban centres such as Srinagar and Jammu, has been witnessing significant public anxiety over rising stray dog attacks. Over the past few years, thousands of bite cases have been recorded, placing immense pressure on healthcare systems and heightening fears among parents, students, morning walkers, and commuters. Public spaces such as schools, hospitals, playgrounds, markets, transport hubs, and residential colonies have increasingly reported the presence of aggressive dog packs, prompting widespread calls for administrative intervention.
Against this backdrop, the Supreme Court of India issued fresh directions earlier in November 2025, urging states and Union Territories to create robust mechanisms for controlling stray dog populations through humane and scientifically proven methods. The directions emphasised sterilisation, vaccination, responsible waste management, and strengthened institutional safety measures. The J&K administration has now formalised a comprehensive governance structure to ensure effective implementation of these guidelines in every district.
At the apex of this framework is the Union Territory-level committee comprising senior bureaucrats from crucial sectors including Agriculture, Housing & Urban Development, Health, Education, Public Works, Home, Sports, Rural Development, Transport, and Law. Administratively powerful bodies such as the Divisional Commissioners, Municipal Commissioners, Inspector Generals of Police, the Transport Commissioner, and representatives from national institutions like NHAI and the Animal Welfare Board of India have also been integrated into the structure, signalling the administration’s intention to adopt a whole-of-government approach.
This UT-level committee will function under the coordination of the Housing & Urban Development Department, which has been named the nodal authority responsible for ensuring that all decisions, timelines, and reporting requirements are adhered to. It will monitor the implementation of the Animal Birth Control (Dog) Rules, 2023, and ensure that every department contributes efficiently to controlling and managing stray dog populations. Central to its mandate is the responsibility to submit compliance reports to the Supreme Court as per stipulated deadlines.
The operational responsibilities extend far beyond sterilisation and vaccination. The committee is tasked with ensuring that all government and private institutions-especially schools, hospitals, sports stadia, health centres, and transport nodes-are fully secured against stray dog ingress. This comes in light of increasing incidents across the Valley where children in school compounds and patients outside hospitals have encountered stray dogs due to open boundaries, damaged fencing, or accumulation of waste that attracts animals.
In recent years, Srinagar has witnessed specific hotspots near hospitals, marketplaces, garbage dumping points, and tourist areas. The unchecked food waste generated by eateries, street vendors, and residential clusters has contributed significantly to the creation of stray dog “habitats.” The new administrative system aims to systematically eliminate these hotspots, reduce access to food waste, and implement strict vigilance within all public institutions.
Another critical component of the government’s strategy involves the designation of nodal officers across departments, institutions, municipalities, and district administrations. These officers will be responsible for maintaining cleanliness, securing premises, coordinating sterilisation drives, recording dog bite cases, and maintaining direct communication with municipal authorities. Their contact details will be displayed at institution entrances, creating an accountability system that has often been missing in the past.
The Supreme Court has placed strong emphasis on public awareness, and the government order reflects that priority. Awareness programmes are to be conducted frequently in schools, hospitals, and community spaces to educate people-especially children-on safe behaviour around animals, first aid in case of bites, and the importance of timely reporting. This component gains significance in Kashmir where, every year, thousands of bite victims rush to district hospitals or the lone anti-rabies clinic in Srinagar, often without knowledge of best immediate practices.
Another major direction relates to ensuring the uninterrupted availability of anti-rabies vaccines and immunoglobulin in all hospitals. Concerns over occasional shortages have created panic in the past, particularly during peak tourist season when population density increases. The new order mandates that every government and private hospital must maintain sufficient stock at all times.
To ensure implementation at the grassroots level, district-level committees have been formed across every district of Jammu & Kashmir. These committees-headed by the respective Deputy Commissioners-will meet frequently to monitor ground action. In Srinagar and Jammu districts, the involvement of Municipal Commissioners, SSPs, and senior officials from health, education, animal husbandry, public works, and sports departments adds administrative strength to the process. In other districts, similar structures have been created under the leadership of the Deputy Commissioners and Municipal CEOs.
These committees are required to inspect schools, hospitals, bus stands, railway stations, playgrounds, and other public spaces regularly to ensure they remain free of stray dog presence. They must also identify vulnerable points that require fencing, wall repairs, gates, or enhanced security. The committees will oversee the removal of stray dogs from institutional premises, ensuring they are sterilised, vaccinated, shifted to shelters, and not released back into sensitive zones-a key point stressed by the Supreme Court.
Additionally, the order directs the creation of designated feeding spots in every locality and the development of animal shelters with adequate capacity. This reflects a shift toward more organised and humane management of stray animals, reducing random feeding across streets while ensuring dogs have controlled access to food.
The committees must also collaborate with police, NHAI, and Public Works authorities to monitor highways and ensure that cattle and stray dogs do not disrupt movement on major roads. Highway patrol teams and helplines will function under closer supervision to address any such incidents, reflecting the government’s intention to protect both human travellers and animals.
Waste management remains one of the most critical components of the overall mechanism. Srinagar and Jammu, like many growing urban centres in India, struggle with scattered garbage points that attract stray dogs. The order insists that transport hubs, marketplaces, government offices, schools, and hospitals must maintain strict waste-disposal systems. Without proper waste control, even the most rigorous sterilisation programmes cannot reduce stray dog populations effectively.
The committees must also compile monthly progress reports covering sterilisation numbers, vaccination data, sheltering capacity, inspections, awareness drives, and logistical challenges. These reports will feed into the fortnightly UT-level assessments, ultimately shaping the compliance dossier submitted before the Supreme Court.
The government’s order represents one of the most comprehensive administrative responses to the stray dog issue in Jammu & Kashmir in recent years. By integrating multiple departments, enforcing accountability, strengthening infrastructure, and adopting a humane yet firm approach, the administration aims to strike a balance between public safety and animal welfare.
As the region continues to urbanise rapidly, the success of this initiative will depend on disciplined waste management, community participation, strong inter-departmental coordination, and consistent monitoring. The coming months will reveal how effectively these newly established committees translate policy into action on the ground, particularly in high-density urban pockets where dog attacks have instilled widespread fear and frustration among citizens.