Greater Chennai Corporation is processing nearly 600 applications to register cattle, including legacy applications dating up to 1997, according to the Public Health Department of the GCC. The issuance of licences has not begun yet.
“No substantial number of owners have come forward for applying, recently. The Corporation has been looking into applications that were put forth since 1997, which amount to roughly 600 as of now,” a senior official in the department stated.
During the Budget presentation for the financial year 2024-25 of the Greater Chennai Corporation on February 21, the Mayor had announced that the Corporation was planning to bring in a new system for the registration of cow sheds across the city.
The Mayor also recently mentioned that if the owners let their cattle loose on the roads unmanned repeatedly, they would be permanently impounded. An official said, “legal consultations are in progress regarding the restrictions that can be imposed on rearing cattle for controlling stray menace in the city.”
Arun Prasanna G., founder of People for Cattle in India (PFCI) stated that the Corporation plans to tag the registered cattle. “But the owners can remove the tag easily and let the cows roam on the streets. Instead, non-invasive micro-chipping methods can be used so that the owners can be held accountable.” He stated that stray cows pose serious danger to people, but the fact remains that the animals consume plastic littered on roadsides, which is very harmful to them.
The GCC has impounded 3,309 stray cattle, collected penalty totalling ₹85,69,400 from cattle owners, as of July 11, according to the civic body.