India has over 5 million stray cattle according to the livestock census data released in January 2020.[1] The stray cow attacks on humans and crops in both urban and rural areas is an issue for the residents.[2][3]
Cow slaughter is banned in many places in India with penalties of long imprisonment and huge fines. Fear of arrest, persecution, and lynching by cow vigilantes has reduced the trading of cows. Once a cow stops giving milk, feeding and maintenance of the cow becomes a financial burden on the farmer who cannot afford their upkeep. Cattle that farmers are unable to sell are eventually abandoned. A cow is considered "stray" when its owner no longer claims ownership or its owner cannot be determined.[4][5][6]
Stray cattle are a nuisance to traffic in urban areas and cause road accidents.[1][7] The problem of solid waste pollution, especially plastic pollution and garbage dumped at public places, poses a risk to stray cattle which feed on garbage.[8]
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