Gurgaon: MCG is set to appoint two private agencies next week for a citywide drive to capture stray cattle from roads, residential areas and markets. The move comes amid persistent complaints about cattle obstructing traffic and contributing to accidents, particularly on highways and busy intersections.The civic body had floated separate tenders for the city’s two clusters. Three technically qualified agencies have submitted bids for each cluster, and the lowest bidders are expected to be awarded the contracts next week, said officials.“We will have two agencies next week. There is no target for them. They have to transport all stray cattle in their jurisdiction to the cow shelters,” said MCG joint commissioner (Swachh Bharat Mission) Preet Pal Singh.The agencies will be required to deploy specialised vehicles with hydraulic lifts, modern equipment and trained staff. Their teams will operate during the day and at night to carry out regular cattle-catching drives.The move follows MCG’s decision to terminate the contract of the agency previously engaged for the work, citing alleged gross negligence and failure to meet prescribed targets. The corporation subsequently invited fresh tenders about a month ago for the two clusters.According to an MCG survey, more than 35,000 stray cattle and other animals are currently roaming across the city. Once the new agencies take charge, the corporation plans to launch continuous drives to capture stray animals and shift them to recognised gaushalas, said officials.The animals will be geo-tagged and medically examined before being transported to shelters, according to the proposed system. MCG has also proposed financial penalties for agencies that fail to meet their assigned targets.The two-cluster model is intended to give each agency responsibility for a defined area and enable sustained cattle-catching operations rather than sporadic drives.The initiative comes amid continuing concerns over stray cattle on busy stretches. MCG officials said the new system is intended to address the problem more systematically, with its effectiveness depending on sustained enforcement and preventing captured animals from returning to the roads.
