Kathmandu, July 22

Kathmandu Metropolitan City has said it will start registering the names of cattle owners to maintain the record of domestic animals from this fiscal.

By next month, the cattle owners will have furnish details of the number and types of cattle they own.

According to Dhanapati Sapkota, Chief of Implementation and Enforcement Department at KMC, a public notice will be issued to urge cattle owners to furnish the number and types of livestock they own. The KMC move is part of its campaign to rid the capital city of stray animals, which have become a nuisance.

“Stray cattle obstruct the flow of traffic in busy roads of the Valley. They rest and walk on the pavements, footpaths as well as streets, creating hassle for pedestrians and drivers alike. The animals foraging on the green belt, traffic islands, park and open spaces also affect capital city’s greenery,” he said.

They have also become a nuisance for vegetable and fruit vendors. Owners, farmers and milkmen from the fringes of the Valley often discard unproductive or ill cows, oxen, bulls and calves on the streets.

Cows are discarded once they stop giving milk. Sapkota said that cow owners usually discard their sick and injured cattle on the streets during night.

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

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

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