Stray cattle still on roads

Even after spending close to R7.5 crore in relocating stray cattle to cow shelters, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has been unable to keep the stray cattle off Delhi roads.

Even after spending close to R7.5 crore in relocating stray cattle to cow shelters, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has been unable to keep the stray cattle off Delhi roads.

HT Image

The civic agency has blamed the dairies which are illegally operating in the city for the stray cattle menace.

To make the city cattle free, the leader of the Opposition Jai Kishan Sharma has asked the veterinary department to take immediate action. The issue was raised in the Standing Commit-tee meeting of the MCD on Wednesday.

"Our veterinary department has spent such a huge amount on relocating stray cattle but it has not yielded any positive results so far. We still see so many cattle on the roads. A large number of accidents happen because cattle move freely on the main roads," said Sharma.

Defending itself, the veterinary department blamed the diaries, which are operating illegally in the city, for the menace. According to an estimate by the civic body, there are close to 2,361 illegal dairies running presently in the city. A majority of the dairies, which have been allotted a site at the Ghogha Dairy, following a court order in 2002, are yet to be shifted.

In the last five years alone, MCD has spent close to R20 crore in this project, but less than 300 dairies have actually shifted there.