NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court, in a suo motu case on dog bite incidents in the national capital, directed the Delhi government to begin picking up stray dogs from all localities, keep them at shelters and not release them back onto streets, colonies or public places.“The court warned of action against anyone obstructing the removal of strays, citing larger public interest and stressing that infants and young children must not fall prey to such attacks. Calling the situation ‘extremely grim’, it said immediate steps were needed,” reported news agency PTI.The top court ordered the Delhi government, MCD and NDMC to create shelters with sufficient personnel to sterilise and immunise strays. The court said that a helpline must be set up within a week to report dog bite cases.At present, the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, 2023, mandate that stray dogs be sterilised, vaccinated and returned to their original location, thus prohibiting their relocation. The ABC Rules were framed under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, and the Supreme Court has reinforced the principle that street canines should not be relocated.In the first six months of the year, 35,198 animal bite incidents were reported across the capital. MCD’s standing committee also formed a subcommittee earlier this month to focus exclusively on street dog management. The panel held its first meeting on Thursday, during which it decided to re-engage the NGOs currently involved in the sterilisation programme and enlist more organisations capable of carrying out the same task. An intensive month-long sterilisation drive is also being planned, according to officials.