MCD to outsource capture of stray cattle to private agencies

MCD official said the firms will be hired under an annual rate contract system, in which payments will be made on a per cattle basis.

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has initiated the process to deploy private firms to catch stray cattle — a pressing issue plaguing the streets of the Capital — officials aware of the development said.

Stray cattle impeding traffic near Ghazipur Village (Sanjeev Verma/HT Photo)

As part of the proposal, these cattle will be relocated via GPS-mounted hydraulic trucks with lift systems to state-authorised cow shelters or gaushalas, where they will be tagged and be left in the care of NGOs operating these shelters, the officials said.

“These teams will be responsible for the removal of stray cattle from illegal dairies as well as the road. They will be active in all 12 administrative zones of Delhi, and will transport captured cattle to the authorised gaushalas,” a senior official from the MCD veterinary department said, on condition of anonymity.

There are currently four cow shelters designated by the Delhi government’s animal husbandry department — Gopal Gosadan in Hareweli, Shri Krishna Gaushala in Sultanpur Dabas; Manav Gosadan in Rewla Khanpur, and Dabur Hare Krishna Goashala in Surehera. A fifth — Acharya Sushil Muni in Ghumanhera — was shut down in 2018 due to rampant mismanagement, and has never been reopened.

The official said the firms will be hired under an annual rate contract system, in which payments will be made on a per cattle basis.

“The teams will have to follow animal cruelty rules, and special care should be taken while catching pregnant, old, and infant cattle as per norms of the animal welfare board,” the official said, adding that the teams could become active as early as by the end of next month.

Once restricted only to areas on Delhi’s outskirts or near rural belts, stray cattle have slowly but steadily become a common sight throughout the city.

Under the existing arrangement, MCD is tasked with capturing stray cattle from the streets and transporting them to these designated cow shelters, and both the Delhi government and the civic body provide assistance of ₹20 per day per cattle to these gaushalas.

However, the problem persists, with stray cattle visible even on the arterial roads of the city. HT on August 26 had reported on the threat that stray cattle pose to residents and motorists, especially at night and in areas that are not well lit.

A second MCD official said the matter has been taken by the Delhi high court, which issued a slew of directions on August 20 to help address the problem.

The court had directed the Delhi government to consider formulating a special task force to deal with the stray cattle issue menace, and ordered MCD to consider establishing dedicated helplines for reporting stray cattle, and to facilitate prompt action and engagement with the community in monitoring and reporting such incidents.

A bench of justice Sanjeev Narula had said that the problem of stray cattle on the roads is not merely an inconvenience, but a significant public safety hazard, affecting the daily lives of thousands of commuters.

The second MCD official said the civic agency has currently deployed 49 cattle catchers across Delhi, along with 20 trucks. “Along with these 20 units, we are now taking up 12 trucks through private agencies which will include driver, labour and necessary modifications. This will help address shortage of staff. Infrastructure will be ramped up,” the official said.