The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued a circular with instructions that any leftovers from food consumed at the court's premises must be disposed of only in covered bins to minimise the risk of bites from stray dogs and preserve hygiene standards.

The circular said that there has been an increase in stray dogs roaming the Supreme Court corridors and entering lifts within the Supreme Court Complex. To reduce the risk of bites from such animals at the Court premises, the following directions were issued with immediate effect:

"All leftover food items must be disposed of exclusively in properly covered dustbins. Under no circumstances should food be discarded in open areas or uncovered containers. This measure is crucial to prevent animals from being attracted to and scavenging for food, thereby significantly reducing the risk of bites and maintaining hygiene standards. Your cooperation in implementing this directive is essential for the safety of all."

The circular comes a day after a Division Bench of the Supreme Court ordered the Delhi government, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and the New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) to start removing stray dogs from all localities in Delhi.

A Bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan added that all these stray dogs must be shifted to shelters.

"There should not be any compromise in undertaking the exercise," the Bench had said, while also issuing a warning that any person or organisation found opposing these directions may face strict action, including for contempt of court.

The Bench has ordered the Delhi government to create dog shelters and inform the Court about the creation of such infrastructure in eight weeks time.

It added that the dog shelters should have sufficient staff to sterilise and immunise dogs, and that they should be placed under CCTV monitoring so that no dog is released back to the streets.

[Read Circular]