City looks for ways to keep stray cattle off roads

New Delhi: The Delhi government is working on a plan to address the problem of stray cattle on city roads, with the issue having come up during the Assembly’s Monsoon Session. The matter was raised under Rule 280 by legislator Shyam Sharma, who flagged instances of cattle being left on roads, leading to traffic disruptions and accidents. According to officials, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has identified three parcels of land in the areas of Kirari, Ghogha, and Bhalswa whose land could be used as part of efforts to deal with the issue. Processing plants are already in works in the latter two.

No final plan, however, has been worked out yet. Sharma also called for a mechanism to identify owners of such animals, trace and relocate cattle found on roads and explore the setting up of cow shelters. According to the officials, the MCD committee of the Legislative Assembly is expected to meet next week to discuss the matter and work out a possible course of action.

A separate meeting is also likely to be held by the civic body this week to discuss the issue. The discussions come alongside plans to deal with the stray cattle and waste generated by authorised and unauthorised dairies in the city.

The MCD signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Dairy Development Board on July 15 for developing cattle-waste processing facilities at multiple locations.

In March, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced the release of over Rs 20 crore for cow welfare and a plan to develop 10 “modern” gaushalas