Shelter shortage, weak enforcement of laws to blame for stray cattle crisis
The drive against stray cattle in Faridabad has made little progress over the past year, with a few animals being removed from the streets. The root cause of the problem is believed to be the insufficient capacity of cow shelters, which are unable to handle the increasing number of stray cattle.
With over 25,000 stray cattle roaming the roads, posing significant risks of accidents, the removal efforts have been grossly inadequate, sources in the administration revealed. While only 5 to 6 percent of the cattle were removed last year, many of those lifted are quickly returned to the streets, as they are domestic animals released by their owners or dairies due to the lack of stringent penalties.
Villages like Nevada, Mawai, Bhupani, Neemka, and Unchagoan have functional cow shelters, but their combined capacity is under 5,000, far from enough to accommodate the growing population of stray cattle.
“The rise in the number of stray cattle belies all the claims of authorities,” says Avtar Krishan Gaur, a local resident. “While the helpline number is hardly responsive, there is no data regarding their removal in the past 10 years.” According to Ravi Dubey, from the People for Animals Trust (PFA), which conducted a survey two years ago, the number of stray cattle could exceed 1.10 lakh when including bulls, dogs, and monkeys.
Dubey attributed the problem to the absence of a proper census, lack of animal tagging, and inadequate infrastructure for animal welfare. Additionally, none of the shelters provide medical treatment for injured animals. Despite a cess of Rs 5 per bottle of liquor introduced in the 2023 Excise policy for animal welfare, no new shelters have been built, it is claimed.
Vishnu Goel, a local resident, pointed out that the authorities may be focusing on domesticated cattle, as owners are more likely to pay to reclaim them. “Around 6,000 cattle are claimed to be returning back to the dairies or owners in the evening,” he said. Varun Sheokand, another resident, who lodged a complaint with the Chief Minister’s office last year, stressed that the stray cattle posed a serious threat to residents’ lives due to frequent accidents and attacks by the animals.
Om Dutt, Executive Engineer at the Municipal Corporation Faridabad, acknowledged the problem, noting that around 1,400 cattle were removed last year. He attributed the issue to the shortage of space in shelters and the practice of owners releasing cattle back onto the streets.
However, Dutt confirmed that work is underway to establish a new shelter with a capacity for 700 cattle. Along with the introduction of penalties, including a fine of Rs 5,000 for violators, the authorities hope to address the situation more effectively in the future.