A municipal official said Sunday that plans to collect and hide thousands of stray canines before world leaders come in the megacity for next month’s G20 conference have been halted.
The municipal government of New Delhi stated Thursday that it would pick up dogs outside boutique hotels and popular tourist attractions and put them at animal sterilization centers until the summit ended.
However, the policy was abruptly revoked over the weekend, according to a local official who spoke to AFP on Sunday, without explaining why.
According to local media, the dog-catching operation has sparked outrage among Delhi residents and animal rights advocates.
According to the most recent government estimates, more than 60,000 stray dogs live on Delhi’s streets, according to India’s Livestock Census of 2012.
Local governments have periodically used sterilization initiatives to keep the canine population in check, however dog groups can still be found in parks and residential areas around the city.
Despite their lack of legal owners, many of Delhi’s strays are adored by their adopted communities, with some canines wearing special canine coats to keep warm during the city’s harsh winters.
They are, however, a danger to people, with local media often reporting on aggressive dog packs mauling young children across the country.
Every year, around 17 million dog bites are reported in India, and the World Health Organization estimates that nearly 20,000 people die from rabies in the country.
Since India inherited the G20 presidency last year, the Delhi metropolitan area, which is home to about 30 million people, has been on a major cleaning effort.
Authorities have demolished illegal slums near summit venues and redesigned main arterial routes on the city’s gridlocked roadways in preparation for the summit, which will welcome leaders from the world’s top economies in September.
