Consider dedicated helpline to report stray cattle: HC to MCD

The Delhi high court has directed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to consider establishing dedicated helplines for reporting stray cattle, to facilitate prompt action and engagement with the community in monitoring and reporting such incidents.

A bench of justice Sanjeev Narula said that the ongoing 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.

Emphasising on the need for an approach that includes regular monitoring, community engagement and stricter enforcement of regulations against errant dairy owners and a solution for stray cattle, the court in its August 20 order also directed the Delhi government to consider formulating a special task force to deal with the menace. The court said that the task force should include representatives from MCD, Delhi Police and other relevant agencies.

The court was responding to a plea filed by Satish Sharma, an advocate in the Saket district court and a resident of village Meethapur, highlighting the hazard posed by stray cattle roaming freely on roads.

In his plea, Sharma sought for directions to the Delhi government and MCD to remove herd of cows and buffaloes on the road and to carry out regular checks to stop the menace.

The petition, filed through advocate Mumtaz Ahmad, claimed that he had made various complaints to the authorities, but the authorities took negligible action to mitigate it.

This practice, the plea added, not only led to traffic disruptions but also increased risk of accidents.

On October 16 last year, the high court directed the Delhi government and MCD to take concrete action for curbing the menace and file status report detailing the steps taken. The court said that mere filing of first information reports (FIRs) against owners who permit their cattle to roam on road and writing letters to the Delhi Jal Board to disconnect water connections of illegal dairies would not solve the problem.

In its status report, the corporation indicated that the Delhi Police had liaised with MCD to promptly address sightings of stray animals. Besides, the civic body also undertook significant actions, including disconnection of utility services to illegal dairies and coordination with local police to enforce compliance, sealing of several illegal dairies, demolition of structures on public land to mitigate the issue.

Considering the status report, the court in its four-page order opined that though the steps taken by MCD were “commendable”, the persistent issue of stray cattle indicates a need for more robust and coordinated action.

“While individual actions against illegal dairies are necessary, they are not sufficient to solve the problem comprehensively,” the court maintained.

The court also directed MCD to raise public awareness about the importance of keeping cattle off the streets saying that community involvement is crucial in identifying and reporting illegal dairies and stray cattle hot spots.