Gurgaon: Gurgaon has the highest number of stray cattle among Haryana’s municipalities, with 6,153 animals still on its roads as of January 1, 2026, despite large-scale drives to catch and relocate them to cow shelters, according to official state data accessed by TOI. Figures show that the MCG caught 5,387 stray cattle between August 2024 and December 2025, but the city continues to record the largest remaining population within the state.Gurgaon has two cow shelters designated for this purpose. Many of the stray cattle are owned by dairy farms and in some cases, owners leave their cattle during the day and bring them back in the evening. During the same period, authorities issued only 24 challans and collected about Rs 2.78 lakh in fines, indicating limited penal action against cattle owners. Gurgaon is not expected to be free of stray cattle till December 31, 2026, according to official projections and relocations, and requires a longer timeline than several smaller municipalities that set March or June deadlines. Cities such as Faridabad and Hisar also continue to report high numbers, with around 1,000 and 2,000 animals, respectively.“We hired two agencies recently to catch stray cattle and shift them to shelters. While the target was set to become a stray cattle-free city by this year-end, we will work on a war footing to achieve the result within a few months,” said a senior MCG official.Official records show that despite catching nearly 49,507 stray cattle in the past 17 months, most urban local bodies across Haryana are still far from eliminating the problem, with 19,206 stray animals still on roads as of January 1, 2026, and only eight municipalities, declared stray cattle-free, underscoring how far most urban bodies still have to go. The cattle-free municipalities include Gannaur, Kharkhoda, Gohana, Yamunanagar, Radaur, Sadhaura, Nissing and Tarori.While civic bodies are catching animals and shifting them to shelters, enforcement against owners remains weak, allowing cattle to return to roads. In multiple municipalities, hundreds of stray cattle were recorded, but no fines were issued at all. For example, Manesar has around 2,000 stray cattle still roaming free, but no challans have been issued to the owners.Stray cattle have long been cited as a major traffic hazard and sanitation issue in Gurgaon, particularly on arterial roads and near markets. Latest data suggests that removal drives alone are not enough to solve the problem.MCG, in December 2025, launched a comprehensive campaign to pick up stray cattle from city roads, with a stern warning that dairy operators should not leave their animals on roads. Stray cattle on the roads caused fatal accidents in the city. Under the campaign, any dairy operator found letting cows roam on roads will face an FIR and fines.Residents said that unless accountability measures against owners are strengthened alongside catching operations, Gurgaon’s goal of becoming stray cattle-free may remain more of a target on paper than an imminent reality.Commuters also said that the situation became increasingly dangerous across key stretches of the city. “I commute to work daily and got several close calls on the Gurgaon–Faridabad road when stray cows suddenly wander onto the roadway. It’s becoming increasingly dangerous for commuters,” said Ankit Kumar, a Faridabad resident.
