Haryana faces a growing stray cattle crisis, overcrowding gaushalas and straining resources statewide.
Chandigarh: The surge in the number of stray cattle in Haryana has left most gaushalas (cow shelters) overcrowded, as the continuous influx of abandoned cows and bulls worsens the crisis. This growing challenge is now forcing authorities to explore alternative solutions to accommodate the rising cattle population and make streets cattle-free, aiming to ease the inconvenience caused to the public.
In the past five years, the number of stray cattle in Haryana has jumped from 3 lakh to around 5 lakh, even as the number of registered and non-registered gaushalas has increased from 550 to more than 750. Yet, these shelters remain overwhelmed.
According to official estimates, around 4.5 lakh cattle are housed in gaushalas, while another 50,000 still roam the streets. In 2024 alone, the state managed to shift 56,000 stray cattle to shelters. The estimated figures of stray cattle in the state have crossed over five lakh, severely straining the capacity of government and private gaushalas (cow shelters), most of which are already overcrowded and underfunded. The problem is snowballing, with around 50,000 stray cattle being added every year, demanding urgent action against the practice of cow abandonment.
Despite these efforts, the infrastructure remains grossly inadequate. Shantivan Gopal Gaushala in Taraori (Karnal), housing over 2,400 stray cattle, has seen its numbers increase from 2,000 two years ago, as caretakers said that every year around 200 cattle come to the gaushala.
Deshraj Mangla of Shri Krishna Gaushala in Ladwa, Kurukshetra, said the gaushala is already at full capacity, accommodating 500 cows and bulls. Thirty more cattle were brought to the gaushala on Friday, and officials of the Municipal Committee Ladwa said more cattle will be brought to the gaushala soon, as they have launched a drive to make the city free from stray cattle.
However, the state government has increased the budget of the Haryana Gau Seva Aayog to Rs 500 crore. The Aayog provides financial assistance to the gaushalas based on the number of cows. Officials in private gaushalas say that the government grants aren’t even enough to pay staff salaries, and they largely depend on donations to meet daily expenses.
Shravan Kumar Garg, Chairman of the Haryana Cow Service Commission, told The Sunday Guardian that in the past six months of the 2024-25 financial year, the Aayog allocated Rs 107.28 crore to 605 registered gaushalas—amounting to around Rs 3,000 per cattle annually. Soon, another grant of Rs 80 crore will be released to the gaushalas in the state.
He said that during the Congress regime, there were only 215 gaushalas in the state, with the number of cattle at 1.75 lakh. Now, with the efforts of the BJP government, the number of gaushalas has increased to over 700, and the number of cattle in these gaushalas has increased to around 4.5 lakh. The annual budget of the Aayog has been increased to Rs 595 crore. In addition to the government providing subsidised electricity to gaushalas, there is no property tax levied on them, and no requirement for a Change of Land Use (CLU) certificate. Furthermore, if land is purchased for setting up gaushalas, the land registration fee is waived, he added.
