Kathmandu, August 24

Kathmandu Metropolitan City has said it has registered 1,200 cattle owners to maintain records of domestic animals from this fiscal.

The registration of cattle owners began in July with a view to discouraging cattle rearing in the Capital. The KMC move is part of its campaign to rid the capital city of stray animals, which have become a nuisance.

Cattle rearing is practised in the outskirts of the Capital for milk production. But in the long run, owners, farmers and milkmen from the fringes of the Valley often discard unproductive or ill cows, oxen, bulls and calves on the urban streets. Newly born male calves are separated from the mother cow or buffalo and abandoned to wander about on the city roads.

Such reckless acts of cattle owners have led to increase in the number of stray cattle in urban areas. They obstruct the flow of traffic on the busy roads of the Valley. They rest and walk on the footpaths as well as on the streets, creating hassles for pedestrians and drivers alike. The animals forage on the green belt, traffic islands, parks and open spaces and destroy the capital city’s greenery. Fruit and vegetable vendors are plagued by stray cattle.

According to Dhanapati Sapkota, Chief of Implementation and Enforcement Department at KMC, cattle owners have furnished the number and type of livestock they own.

“Keeping records of cattle discourages owners from discarding them in the city’s streets. Cows and buffaloes are discarded once they stop giving milk. The owners also tend to discard their sick, injured and old cattle on the streets at night,” he said, adding that owners keep female calves for milking in the future.

In a bid to restrict cattle owners, KMC has decided to impose fines against recorded cattle owners who are guilty of discarding their cattle.

KMC Chief Executive Officer Rudra Singh Tamang said, “We hope owners of domestic animals will not discard their cattle after registering them as they will learn about possible legal charges for their action.” The owners will be fined if they are caught in the act of discarding the animals.

According to KMC, as many as 1,148 stray animals were rescued between 2012 and 2015.

The office earned a revenue of Rs 634,000 by selling rescued stray animals in districts like Kavre, Sindhupalchowk, Dhading, Makawanpur, Parsa, Bara, Rautahat and Sarlahi.