CHANDIGARH: The Punjab and
Haryana high court has directed the UT administration and Punjab and Haryana governments to submit a detailed report on all cases of dog menace reported in last six months.
The directions were passed during the resumed hearing of a case related to Sukhna Lake on Tuesday. The matter would come up for hearing on October 25. The matter related to illegal constructions in the catchment area of the lake would be heard by the court.
The issue of stray dogs at the lake was highlighted during the last hearing of the case. The court observed the dog menace is on the rise, with cases being reported in media daily. It was also observed that stray dogs are becoming cause of accidents.
The court was informed that the process of vaccination is underway, to which it asked how it is identified that a particular dog is vaccinated and others not. The court observed Chandigarh has to be made a model city and for this certain steps are required to be taken.
The court also directed that all issues related to encroachment and illegal constructions at catchment area would be heard simultaneously with this case only.
Regarding sewage flowing into lake, the court asked Haryana what is being done to stop its flow from Saketri. The state government replied all arrangements have been made to stop the sewage flow.
Since 2009, the management of Sukhna is under the scanner of the high court, which from time to time has been issuing directions to states and the administration to take a slew of measures to save the water body. It was on the directions of the high court that the administration released water from seven tubewells to the lake when its level dropped drastically last year.