To tackle the problem of stray cattle in the state and make the model of sheltering cattle self-sustainable, the Uttar Pradesh government is looking at building “ati-vrihad” (giant) cattle shelters
According to officers the development comes after the government put off its plan of building cattle sanctuaries on forested land parcels in the state, owing to apprehensions raised by the state's forest department.
The new plan is to be implemented for cattle shelters with a capacity of 2,500-3,000 each will be built on land parcels of a minimum of 20 acres land. To identify land in their respective regions, District administrations have been directed. 18 out of 75 districts have already recognized land, said an official of the animal husbandry department. Uttar Pradesh’s chief minister Yogi Adityanath wants one such shelter to be developed per block, the department will first try to build about five such shelters in each district.
Indramani, director, administration and development, animal husbandry department said that building such large shelters will not only look after a large number of cattle more efficient but also make products like cow dung and urine available in bulk, which can then be used to make CNG from biogas and other products, to make the shelters self-sustainable.
Indramani said the change will also lead to financial savings of the department due to economies of scale achieved in terms of manpower and other variable expenditure.
2019 livestock census says that there were more than 1.18 million stray cattle in the state and according to government about a million of them are sheltered. It had also claimed to have fulfilled its target of sheltering an additional 50,000 stray cattle in the first 100 days of the government coming to power for the second time.
