Mumbai: A sweeping directive issued by Western Railway (WR) to purge stray dogs from railway stations across its Mumbai Division has drawn sharp criticism from animal welfare experts, who warn that mass relocation will backfire, triggering territorial aggression and worsening public safety.
Station Officials Named Nodal Officers
The controversy stems from an internal operational circular issued on July 30 by Mumbai Central's senior divisional commercial manager Adish Pathania. Citing compliance with Supreme Court orders and subsequent mandates from the Railway Board, the order officially designated all station superintendents and station masters as nodal officers tasked with keeping station premises entirely free of stray dogs.
Under the directive, nodal officers are instructed to coordinate with local municipal corporations for the removal and management of stray dogs, tighten access controls, conduct routine inspections and prominently post their contact details at station entrances.
Animal Welfare Group Opposes Mass Relocation
While Western Railway frames the move as a necessary step to safeguard the millions of daily commuters navigating Mumbai’s bustling suburban network, animal rights advocacy group Humane World for Animals India has pushed back against the plan, labelling unscientific relocation a short-sighted tactic.
The NGO's director of the street animal program Dr. Piyush Patel emphasised that community dogs residing on platforms are well-known to station staff, licensed porters, local vendors and regular commuters. It added that removing established, territorial canines rarely clears the area for long, instead, it creates an ecological void.
NGO Calls for Compliance With ABC Rules
"Simply relocating these dogs is unlikely to provide a sustainable solution. Scientific evidence shows that when resident dogs are removed, the vacant territory is often occupied by other unsterilised dogs in search of food and shelter. This vacuum effect can lead to renewed territorial conflicts, continued breeding and the re-establishment of the dog population, undermining long-term management efforts," Dr Patel added.
The NGO highlighted that any relocation effort must strictly align with the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, 2023, which emphasise localised sterilisation, rabies vaccination, waste control and community engagement over indiscriminate removal. Humane World for Animals India called on Western Railway authorities to publicly release a transparent, comprehensive blueprint before taking action. It also raised key questions related to destination of the facilities, infrastructure and capacity as well as long-term welfare of the animals.
The NGO urged WR to consult experienced animal welfare organisations for technical expertise, arguing that joint efforts — focusing on garbage management around platform food stalls and structured vaccination drives — offer a far more effective path to commuter safety than displacement.
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