Supreme Court Orders Removal Of All Stray Animals From Highways Across India; Directs Their Relocation To Shelters

The Supreme Court today ordered national and state authorities to immediately remove all stray animals, including cattle, from highways and expressways falling in their jurisdiction.

The Court directed the authorities to promptly identify highways and other public areas frequently visited by stray animals and ensure their relocation to designated shelters in accordance with law. It further ordered that helpline numbers be displayed at regular intervals along highways and similar locations to enable commuters to report the presence of strays or accidents involving them.

A bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and NV Anjaria passed the directions, while partly affirming a Rajasthan High Court order, as follows:

- Municipal authorities, road and transport department, public works department of all states/UTs and national highway authorities shall ensure removal of all stray dogs and other stray animals from the state highways, national highways and national expressways falling in their jurisdiction

- Concerned authorities to undertake a joint coordinated drive to identify highways and expressways where stray cattle or animals are frequently found and shall take immediate steps for removal and relocation to designated shelters

- The cattle and other stray animals so picked up shall be kept in appropriate shelters and provided with all necessary veterinary care in accordance with Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and ABC Rules.

- The authorities shall constitute dedicated highway patrol teams and [assign] existing road safety units for reports of stray cattle or other animals obstructing the roadways. Such patrols shall function on a 24/7 basis and coordinate with local police stations, veterinary officers and municipal authorities, etc.

- All national highways, state highways and national expressways shall properly display helpline numbers at regular intervals enabling commuters to promptly report presence of stray animals or accidents caused thereby. These helplines shall be linked to control rooms of local police, NHAI and district administration for real-time redressal and monitoring.

The Court said that Chief Secretaries of all States/UTs, together with Chairperson of NHAI, shall ensure strict enforcement of the directions through field-level monitoring and shall hold field-level officers personally accountable for lapses or recurring incidents in their respective jurisdictions.

The directions shall be implemented across India and Chief Secretaries of all States/UTs, Chairperson of NHAI, and the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways shall file status of compliance affidavits within a period of 8 weeks, indicating the mechanism established for removal and sheltering of stray animals from highways, constitution and functioning of patrol teams, operational status of helpline facilities and installation of signboards displaying the helpline numbers.

Case Title: IN RE : 'CITY HOUNDED BY STRAYS, KIDS PAY PRICE', SMW(C) No. 5/2025

Citation : 2025 LiveLaw (SC) 1072

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