New Delhi: The Municipal Corporation of Delhi has called a halt on plans to catch and hide thousands of stray dogs before world leaders arrive for next month’s G20 summit.
The corporation announced on Thursday that it would round up canines outside boutique hotels and popular tourist hotspots, and keep them at animal sterilisation centres until the summit was over. But the policy was abruptly withdrawn over the weekend, a local official told AFP on Sunday, without explaining why.
Dog-catching scheme had aroused opposition from Delhi residents and animal rights activists. More than 60,000 stray dogs live on Delhi’s streets according to India’s Livestock Census of 2012, the most recent available government figures.
Sterilisation campaigns have been regularly employed by local authorities to keep the canine population in check, though dog packs remain present in parks and residential neighbourhoods around the city.