The stray cattle in Dehradun are now being housed at the new Gau Sadan in Selaqui area. The stray cattle have enough space to roam free in the Gau Sadan compound and are also enabled to feed when they wish, said the Municipal Corporation of Dehradun senior veterinary officer Dr V Sati.
According to Dr Sati, “Stray cattle are not usually in the habit of living in a confined area or being tied up in a corner. If they are kept tied up, they create a nuisance for the other cattle too. Therefore they are kept free in Gau Sadan where they can roam around and have food according to their will.” “We respect their freedom to move around and MCD has enough space for stray cattle where they can stay without being confined to narrow spaces," Sati added.
On the commencement of picking stray cattle off the major roads of the city, he said, “There is now negligible number of stray cattle on Dehradun roads. Anyone can easily see the difference in the number of stray cattle visible on the roads these days compared to the past." According to him, the people who domesticate the cattle are actually responsible for the stray cattle on the roads. They leave them in open on the streets when they are not profitable for their owners.
He also mentioned that to get the cattle released from Gau Sadan, an owner will have to pay penalty of Rs 500 per day for the duration of the cattle’s stay at the shelter. Sati further informed that currently there are three guards and two people for taking care of cattle in the shelter but the number of staff will be increased in the near future.
It is pertinent to mention here that last month Dehradun mayor Sunil Uniyal 'Gama' inaugurated Gau Sadan in Selaqui to provide better facility to shelter stray cattle.