Hold your horses, Victoria joyrides to be history soon
The Bombay high court on Wednesday directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to seize the horses which pull carriages in the city and are kept at unlicensed stables.
This means, the Victoria, which ply at Apollo Bunder, Marine Drive and Nariman Point, and are a major tourist attraction, will be phased out. Currently, there are 130 Victoria, down from 800 over the years.
A division bench of chief justice Mohit Shah and justice RS Dalvi was hearing a public interest litigation alleging cruelty to animals by using them for giving joyrides to people. The Animals and Birds Charitable Trust, which conducts feeding programmes for horses and ponies in South Mumbai, said it became aware of the plight of horses used for pulling carriages, including Victoria, through one such programme. Trust officials said the laws protecting these animals were "knowingly disregarded" and "blatantly violated".
There are 170 horses, including ponies, mostly used at beaches, gardens etc.
The petitioner's counsel, Aspi Chenoy, argued that the horses are made to stand all night, with their legs tied. This has been making them sick. "Also, the Victoria are getting bigger and accommodating more people. The rule says only three people should be allowed per carriage."
The court has directed the BMC to send the horses to Panvel on the 6.36 acre of open land provided by the trust. It observed, "The trust has given an undertaking that it will take care of the horses, and feed and transport them."
It has directed the deputy commissioner of BMC health department and officials of the trust and Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to work out the logistics in the change of place.
The court has also directed the Maharashtra government to work out a policy to rehabilitate the Victoria 107 registered drivers.
As per BMC records, there are 10 horse stables in the city, of which nine are illegal. Only the amateur stable of the Royal Western India Turf Club, which meets the whole criteria and only houses horses which run in races, is legal.
As per the BMC affidavit, it last issued the licence for stables in 1974. It stopped after that on finding the stables "filthy and unhygienic". It has been taking regular action against the horse owners, and had recently issued fresh notices to them. However, as per the Bombay Municipality Act, the owners whose horses are seized can redeem them after paying Rs2,500 and accepting the condition of not plying the horses again for commercial use.
The Bombay high court on Wednesday directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to seize the horses which pull carriages in the city and are kept at unlicensed stables.
This means, the Victoria, which ply at Apollo Bunder, Marine Drive and Nariman Point, and are a major tourist attraction, will be phased out. Currently, there are 130 Victoria, down from 800 over the years.
A division bench of chief justice Mohit Shah and justice RS Dalvi was hearing a public interest litigation alleging cruelty to animals by using them for giving joyrides to people. The Animals and Birds Charitable Trust, which conducts feeding programmes for horses and ponies in South Mumbai, said it became aware of the plight of horses used for pulling carriages, including Victoria, through one such programme. Trust officials said the laws protecting these animals were "knowingly disregarded" and "blatantly violated".
There are 170 horses, including ponies, mostly used at beaches, gardens etc.
The petitioner's counsel, Aspi Chenoy, argued that the horses are made to stand all night, with their legs tied. This has been making them sick. "Also, the Victoria are getting bigger and accommodating more people. The rule says only three people should be allowed per carriage."
The court has directed the BMC to send the horses to Panvel on the 6.36 acre of open land provided by the trust. It observed, "The trust has given an undertaking that it will take care of the horses, and feed and transport them."
It has directed the deputy commissioner of BMC health department and officials of the trust and Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to work out the logistics in the change of place.
The court has also directed the Maharashtra government to work out a policy to rehabilitate the Victoria 107 registered drivers.
As per BMC records, there are 10 horse stables in the city, of which nine are illegal. Only the amateur stable of the Royal Western India Turf Club, which meets the whole criteria and only houses horses which run in races, is legal.
As per the BMC affidavit, it last issued the licence for stables in 1974. It stopped after that on finding the stables "filthy and unhygienic". It has been taking regular action against the horse owners, and had recently issued fresh notices to them. However, as per the Bombay Municipality Act, the owners whose horses are seized can redeem them after paying Rs2,500 and accepting the condition of not plying the horses again for commercial use.
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