Man–animal conflict is as old as the hills. When humans trespass into forests or grasslands, animals naturally resist. But now, in Delhi and Mumbai, a different battlefront has emerged and it has reached the Supreme Court. In the capital, the apex court took suo motu notice of incidents where stray dogs bit pedestrians, some resulting in rabies. While the concern for public safety is laudable, the solution ordered by a two-judge bench has raised eyebrows and hackles. The order? Round up every stray dog in Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, and Gurugram, and confine them in shelters, never to return to the streets. On paper, it sounds tidy. In practice, it is a logistical step for chaos.........

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