To ward off stray dogs, Delhi University to fence North Campus, ETEducation
New Delhi: Delhi University is considering fencing its open North Campus to prevent stray dogs. Following Supreme Court’s directive on preventing dog-bite incidents, DU has notified standard operating procedures for managing stray dogs on its campuses and officials said a meeting would be held soon to decide how North Campus, which now allowed unrestricted movement of animals, could be enclosed.The SOPs, formulated by Animal Welfare Board of India and issued by the Union education ministry, were notified on Jan 12 following the Nov 7 order in which the court had stressed the need to ensure the safety and well-being of the public, including students and staff in educational institutions, and directed uniform implementation of preventive measures.
The Union higher education department has directed the universities to comply with the framework for regulating the presence of stray dogs on campuses. The DU administration, with the assistance of municipal authorities, will shift stray dogs from the premises to animal shelters to be set up by MCD.
A senior official said, “We will soon hold a meeting to decide how the court’s directions are to be implemented and how fencing and boundary walls can be set up across the campus. North Campus is an open area with several colleges. The idea is to work out a feasible plan to address the issue.”
The SOPs also outline awareness measures for students, staff and the public to reduce dog-bite risks. These include recognising a dog’s body language, avoiding unfamiliar dogs, not disturbing animals while they are sleeping or eating, and teaching children safe behaviour around them. The guidelines advise staying calm during encounters with stray dogs and also list steps to be taken in case of a dog attack.
DU has nominated its chief security officer and sanitary inspector as nodal officers for the implementation of the SOPs. The chief security officer will oversee fencing, boundary walls, gates and round-the-clock vigilance to prevent the ingress and habitation of stray dogs while the sanitary inspector will be responsible for maintaining cleanliness.
Officials said the SOPs would also be implemented on South Campus, which is also an open area with colleges scattered across a vast stretch. Other universities, including Jamia Millia Islamia, also appointed nodal officers for the same purpose.
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