In a significant move to enhance road safety, Delhi's Public Works Department (PWD) has intensified efforts to install prominent signage displaying a dedicated helpline number for reporting stray dog-related issues on the capital's major thoroughfares. This action comes in direct response to a Supreme Court directive aimed at curbing accidents and improving public safety.
Supreme Court Directive Spurs Action
The drive follows proceedings in a suo motu case titled ‘City Hounded by Stray, Kids Pay Price’, where the apex court took serious note of incidents involving children and pedestrians being injured by stray dogs. Pursuant to the court's order dated November 7, a high-level meeting was convened by the Chief Secretary on November 20. During this meeting, departments were instructed to ensure the installation of visible and standardised signage on major roads to facilitate quicker reporting and emergency response.
The PWD has now directed its road maintenance zones to submit detailed Action Taken Reports (ATRs) confirming compliance. These reports must detail the exact locations and the number of display boards installed, along with verification that they adhere to the approved draft design circulated by the department.
Key Roads and Helpline Details
According to an official memorandum, executive engineers have been tasked with installing these display boards at regular intervals along key arterial corridors. The identified roads include:
- Ring Road
- Outer Ring Road
- Rohtak Road
- Mathura Road
The boards are required to prominently display the Municipal Corporation of Delhi's (MCD) helpline number — 155305. This number will enable commuters, pedestrians, and road users to immediately report the presence of stray animals or any accidents involving them.
"The objective is to ensure people know exactly whom to contact if they spot stray animals or witness an accident involving them. Prompt reporting can help MCD's veterinary teams respond faster," explained a senior PWD official. The updates from the maintenance zones will be reviewed at the headquarters level and subsequently reflected on the official PWD website for public transparency.
Bridging a Critical Coordination Gap
Officials highlight that this signage initiative is also a crucial step towards bridging a long-standing coordination gap between road-owning agencies like the PWD and civic bodies responsible for animal control. While the MCD oversees the sterilisation and rescue of stray dogs, operational delays have frequently occurred due to a lack of real-time information from the roads. This direct helpline aims to streamline the process.
The urgency of the matter is underscored by recent data on dog bites and rabies in the national capital. Official data shows that 26,334 dog bite cases were reported in Delhi up to August this year. Of these, 9,920 cases were recorded at MCD hospitals, while 15,010 were reported at anti-rabies vaccination centres. For context, the city recorded a staggering 68,090 dog bite cases in the entirety of last year. As of July 31, Delhi had reported 49 rabies cases.
On the intervention front, over 65,000 stray dogs were sterilised and vaccinated between January 25 and June 25 this year as part of ongoing animal population management efforts. The new helpline signage is expected to complement these measures by enabling faster response to immediate threats on the road, thereby creating a safer environment for Delhi's residents.
