Committee recommends measures to deal with stray cattle menace in UP

A high power committee appointed by the Uttar Pradesh government has recommended a slew of steps, including establishment of fodder bank, to overcome stray cattle menace in the state, the committee chairman said.

In order to reduce the price of products prepared from excreta of stray cattle and help increase their demand, the committee has also recommended the state government to grant subsidy at the beginning.

Besides, it has suggested the state government to grant Rs 100 per animal per day to stray cattle sheds and seeks to make obligatory for lawmakers to provide support to the sheds from their funds.

"If the recommendations of the committee are fully implemented, this would also be a model for other states facing stray cattle menace," Prof K M L Pathak, the chairman of the committee and vice chancellor of the Deen Dayal Veterinary University told reporters here.

The committee had sent the recommendations to state Principal Secretary, Animal Husbandry, Sudhir M Bobde on January 7, Pathak said, adding that the steps suggested by the body are more practical, sustainable and self-reliant.

The committee has recommended to set up fodder warehouses for storage of compressed fodder block and also suggested to adopt measures practised in" Gau Vigyan Anusandhan Kendra Devlapar, Nagpur (Maharastra) for dry cows (cows no longer capable of giving milk) and bulls.

The compressed fodder blocks prepared through machines are easy to handle for storage as well as transportation. The blocks may be prepared from thesurplus fodder purchased from farmers, he said.

In Devlapar, while urine of dry cows is being used for the preparation of certain medicines, that of bull is being used for preparing insecticides, he said, adding that dung of both the cattle is used for vermicompost that is a boon to organic farming.

Pathak said, like milk collection centre, urine and dung collection centre may be set up to make the system more viable.

According to chairman of the committee, the recommendations not only focus on government support for marketing of products prepared from the excreta of stray cattle, but also making obligatory financial support to "Nirashrit Gau Vansh Ashray Sthal (stray cattle shed) for MPs/MLAs from their fund.

The committee has recommended a grant of Rs 100 per animal per day to stray cattle sheds, along with time to time financial assistance from MGNREGA, financial commission, development fund etc.,he said.

Pathak said since habitat of stray cattle can not be prepared overnight, stray cattle may be adjusted in Mandi parishad, defunct sugar mills, buildings abandoned by educational institutions and pasture land for the time being.

Officials are yet to complete the relocation of stray cattle to shelter homes although the deadline set by Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath ended on Thursday.

Reacting to public anger at stray cattle damaging crops and causing street accidents, Adityanath had on January 3 given district and civic officials a week to catch and herd these animals into cow shelters and fine the owners when they reclaimed them.