The Gujarat Urban Development Department has devised ways to ease the process of taming stray cattle by capturing them from the city streets.
Of late, capturing of stray bovines has become a headache for the civic authorities in different parts of Gujarat due to the interference of bikers’ gangs during cattle-catching operations.
The development department has now issued guidelines to fix high-resolution CCTV cameras on the vehicles used to impound stray cattle so that biker gangs can be identified through their vehicle registration numbers.
That apart, a new scheme called ‘Friends of Cattle’ is also being launched by the department to tackle the cattle menace.
Guidelines have been issued by the department to all municipal corporations and municipalities across the state to initiate the process for the schemes for smooth conduct of the operation.
“Police complaints must be filed against the biker gangs. Install high resolution cameras on vehicles used to round up cattle so that the offenders and their vehicle registration numbers can be captured,” the fresh guidelines state.
Acknowledging that police protection is often required by civic body teams that impound stray cattle, the guidelines said, “In the commissionerate areas, a DCP-level officer, and in nagarpalika areas, a DySP level officer must be appointed as the nodal officer to provide police protection.”
The ‘Friends of Cattle’ scheme, meanwhile, allows people to donate money that will be used to buy fodder for cattle. Citizens can visit a city civic centre and make donations.
All cattle owners must get permits and licences for their cattle and should not be allowed to keep more bovines than what has been permitted, the guidelines state. Civic bodies have been asked to initiate strict action in accordance with the laws in case the permit and licence clauses are violated. Impounded bovines that remain unclaimed must be auctioned, given to farmers or panjrapols, or kept in animal hostels outside city limits, the guidelines stated.
The circular preceding the guidelines had stated that cattle moving freely on the roads in cities and towns has become a serious issue and several people have lost their lives or have been injured because of the menace. The preface states that at present, cattle control teams impound stray cattle in areas under municipal corporations and municipalities. The animals are released after their owners have paid fines. The circular states that these cattle again roam on the streets, posing a risk to pedestrians and vehicle riders. Last month, the high court had directed the state government to frame a policy or issue administrative instructions crystallizing measures to control the cattle menace in the state.
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