India's top court on Monday ordered the removal of stray dogs from New Delhi's streets, citing a surge in dog bite cases.

The Supreme Court instructed authorities to capture 5,000 dogs from "high-risk areas" within six to eight weeks, sterilize them and relocate them to shelters.

The order comes as hospital records suggest New Delhi sees nearly 2,000 dog bite incidents each day.

Stray dogs biting children sparked legal case

No one knows exactly how many dogs roam the streets of India's capital.

The most recent data, from 2013, estimated at least 60,000, while more recent figures suggest the number could be as high as one million.

While many of the dogs roaming New Delhi's streets are harmless, the court described the number of dog bite incidents as "extremely grim."

"Infants, young children should not at any cost fall prey to stray dogs," it said.

The court also ordered a 24-hour helpline to report dog bites and directed officials to publicize locations where anti-rabies vaccines are available.

Criticism from conservationists

India accounts for more than a third of global rabies deaths, according to the World Health Organization. If left untreated, the virus, which invades the central nervous system of people bitten by an infected animal, is almost always fatal.

The court's decision has drawn criticism from conservationists over its implementation.

"Where are the shelters to house thousands of dogs?" conservation biologist Bahar Dutt said in a post on X, calling the top court's order an "impractical, unscientific move."

"We respectfully believe the focus should be on humane solutions for street dogs in Delhi — mass vaccination and sterilization — rather than removal," Vidit Sharma, founder of the animal welfare organization Save A Stray wrote on social media.

The court warned animal activists not to obstruct the process.

Kapil Mishra, a minister in the Delhi government, welcomed the order and said it was a step toward freeing New Delhi "from the fear of rabies and stray animals."

"Special attention will also be given to the comprehensive welfare of stray animals," he added in a post on social media.

Edited by: Karl Sexton