UP launches first sanctuary for 5,000 cattle

Spread across 50 acres of forest land near a village in Muzaffarnagar district, Uttar Pradesh now has its first cow sanctuary that can accommodate up to 5,000 cattle, animal husbandry officials said.
Built as part of the Rashtriya Gokul Mission by the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), the facility, located in the Purkaji area of the district, will be operated by the Govardhan Cow Service Committee. Its objective is to tackle stray cattle menace, and promote livestock development, farmers' welfare and rural entrepreneurship, the officials added.
At present, the state has over 14 lakh stray cattle (1.30 lakh in urban and semi-urban areas) housed across 8,381 conservation centers, according to government data. Also, 12.50 lakh stray cattle were housed in 7,713 rural cow shelters, the government had said last month.
The Muzaffarnagar facility's official inauguration was held on Tuesday in a ceremony attended by Union minister SP Singh Baghel and state cabinet minister (animal husbandry and dairy development) Dharampal Singh.
The cow sanctuary, at present, shelters around 2,300 cattle gathered from villages of Muzaffarnagar, they said, adding the project was built at ₹63 crore.
Speaking at the inauguration, Baghel emphasised that doubling farmers' income required diversification beyond traditional crops. 'Animal husbandry is vital for farmers' prosperity, and the government is committed to making them self-reliant,' he noted.
He added that the cow sanctuary would provide free training in artificial insemination and basic veterinary care to farmers and youth, equipping them with skills to generate additional income sources.
The project was expected to set a benchmark for cow conservation, farmers' training, and rural development initiatives in the region, he said.
Dharampal Singh stated that the initiative would not only resolve the problem of stray cattle but also benefit the farmers of the region. Also, the minister emphasised the need to adopt organic farming, animal husbandry, and beekeeping in order to fulfill the prime minister's dream of doubling farmers' income.
Muzaffarnagar MP and Union minister of state for agriculture and farmers welfare Sanjeev Balyan said: 'An animal hospital has also been established in the sanctuary. Around ₹4 lakh is being spent daily on the amenities here. This initiative has also provided employment to around 200 people.'
'Soon, a breed improvement centre will also be set up here, which will help enhance the milk production capacity of cows. An emphasis was also placed on the importance of providing higher education to children—because an educated generation will be the true driver of change in society,' he added.
The center has a round-the-clock facility for trained staff, who include three veterinary doctors, a fodder inspector, a sanctuary supervisor and six para veterinary assistants. 'The staff looking after care and treatment of the animals are being paid from CSR funds,' said chief veterinary officer Jitendra Gupta.
According to veterinary department officials, plans to develop similar cow sanctuaries in Agra and Bareilly were under consideration. Baghel, who represents Agra in the Lok Sabha, and Dharmpal Singh have moved proposals in this regard.
Last week, the UP government said it was spending ₹7.5 crore per day on the maintenance of stray cattle in the state.
Also, Dharampal Singh had said in the state assembly that the problem of stray cattle had been effectively addressed with the state government setting up 7,713 cow shelters. He also said there were 12.43 lakh cows in the state, and the government had increased allowance for maintenance of cows from ₹30 to ₹50 per day.
The UP minister had also said 1.63 lakh cows had been given to 1.05 lakh people as part of the Mukhyamantri Sahabhagita Yojana. He said a committee comprising officers of six departments had been set up. 'On the recommendations of the committee, stray cattle are sent to cow shelters... the state government has decided that stray cattle in the villages close to the highways would wear radium plates around their necks. Assistance of ₹4 lakh is given in case of the death of a person in an accident caused by a bull,' he added.

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