Tackling Stray Cattle Issue Step to 'Viksit Dilli'

LAST week Chief Minister Rekha Gupta was, it could be said, baptized by fire on what awaits _her in resuscitating governance in Delhi.

- SIDHARTH MISHRA Author and president, Centre for Reforms, Development & Justice

Her convoy was halted for nearly 15 minutes on the Haiderpur flyover, close to her residence, as half a dozen stray cattle blocked the road.

Gupta was on the way to the state assembly, where the Budget session is in progress.

The CM came out of her vehicle, and checked if the cattle belonged to a government 'Gaushala' (cattle shelter) or to private owners. She could proceed only after security personnel ensured that the cattle were safely moved aside. The menace of the stray cattle is one of the several symptoms of an ailing Delhi administration.

Addressing the issue of stray cattle could be Gupta government's first initiative to make the national Capital, 'Viksit Dilli'. Beyond traffic disruptions, stray cattle pose significant health hazards too. Delhi has grown on the agricultural holdings of the villages spread across the mega polis. It presents a typical case of urban sprawl encroaching upon rural areas. These villages exist even today in the midst of most modern urban colonies. For example, the CM lives in Shalimar Bagh, which is built on the agriculture holdings of Shalamar village.