Mumbai: After directing that sports complexes and stadiums be kept free of stray dogs, the state government has now extended the mandate to state and national highways under the jurisdiction of the Public
Works Department (PWD).
In an order issued on Friday, the government instructed all PWD offices responsible for highway maintenance to launch a special drive through the District Road Safety Committees, in line with directions issued by the Supreme Court on November 7 last year.
Officials have been asked to identify dangerous and sensitive locations where the presence of stray dogs and other animals is frequently reported. As part of the campaign, stray animals will be captured and shifted to shelter homes. Vigilance squads will also be formed to conduct regular inspections along highways. These squads will include representatives from the local police, the animal husbandry department, and municipal corporations or panchayat offices.
The government has also ordered a public awareness and publicity campaign, to be carried out through the National Highways Authority of India helpline number 1033 and the state emergency helpline number 112. These numbers will be displayed at regular intervals along highways to enable motorists to report the presence of stray animals. The helplines will be linked to local police stations, NHAI units and district administration control rooms to ensure swift grievance redressal and prompt action, the order said.
A detailed report on the action taken under the drive must be submitted to the Secretary of the Animal Husbandry Department, who has been designated as the state’s nodal officer for the initiative. Sources said that although the directive has formally been issued to the PWD, responsibility for implementation will rest with all members of the District Road Safety Committees.
These committees include the District Collector, Police Commissioner or Superintendent of Police, Municipal Commissioner or Chief Officer of the Municipal Council, the Regional Transport Officer, highway police officials, and engineers from the NHAI or the PWD. Within Mumbai limits, the Sion–Panvel Highway is jointly maintained by the PWD, the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. The Eastern and Western Express Highways are maintained by the BMC, while the Eastern Freeway is maintained by the BMC and managed and upgraded by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority.
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