BANGALORE: The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday directed the Bruhut Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to expeditiously take steps to tackle the stray dog menace in areas coming under its jurisdiction.

The court ordered that the authorities spare no effort to ensure human safety.

A Division Bench comprising Justice Chidanand Ullal and Justice Ashok B. Hinchigeri passed the orders on a public interest litigation (PIL) petition by Krishna Bhat seeking to stay the operation of Rule 7 of Animal Birth Control (ABC) which deals with capture, sterilisation, immunisation and release of dogs.

Citing several reports in the media, particularly The Hindu , the petitioner said an eight year-old girl in Bangalore had died after a dog bit her. He claimed that while some provisions of the ABC are unworkable, some are in direct conflict with the liberty and life of a citizen and violates Article 21 of the Constitution. Several people in Bangalore, he said, had suffered dog bites and that the BBMP had been lax in tackling the issue of stray dogs. He also claimed that the sterilisation of dogs had not ended the menace of street dogs. Instead sterilised dogs had become more ferocious and this, he said, is clear from increased attacks on people.

The Karnataka State Legal Services Authority (KSLSA) had also impleaded itself in the petition as did several non-government organisations.

While the KSLSA had sought a direction from the court against the street dog menace, the NGOs, including Compassion Unlimited Plus Action (CUPA), People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and others had opposed the culling of stray dogs and the action of the BBMP in launching a programme to eliminate street dogs from Bangalore.

The NGOs had taken objection to the stand of the petitioners that they are not doing enough to sterilise street dogs.

They said the ABC programme would take some time to yield results.

The KSLSA said human life is more important than the life of a dog and that adequate steps would have to be initiated to save human beings from attacks by stray dogs. One of the NGOs said it would take care of the street dogs provided it was given adequate finance.

It said it was already taking care of several hundred street dogs.

The Bench orally observed that it would be better if the street dogs are collared and then handed over to the NGOs.

The NGOs in turn, could take care of the dogs and the BBMP could finance their upkeep. The NGOs accepted the suggestion and the Bench said it would modify the order suitably to include other suggestions and measures on the issue.

The Bench adjourned further hearing on the case to May 29 and ordered the respondents, including the Centre, to file their counters.

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