Delhi: 'Mooving' Cows Out of the City

As congestion and traffic accidents are on the rise in Delhi, India, officials make plans to relocate cows from urban areas.

1 minute read

October 12, 2003, 7:00 AM PDT

By Connie Chung


"Cows define Delhi the way cafes define Paris, or bicycles Beijing...they are an integral part of the city's landscape." However, with "the urban cow population approaching 40,000 and traffic congestion growing, Delhi has decided to spruce up its image and get rid of the cows. Since the beginning of the month, teams of cow-catchers have been on the streets, with the goal of relocating all of them outside the city within a year....If the campaign succeeds, it will transform the face of a city that has forever shared its space with cows.The urban sprawl that constitutes modern-day Delhi, old and new, was once a series of small villages, and as recently as 20 years ago, there was enough grazing land to support a large bovine population....As the city has grown, however, urban life has become increasingly unpleasant for cows and for the people who live among them....the number of cow-related traffic accidents is on the rise."

Thanks to Connie Chung

Friday, October 14, 2005 in The Chicago Tribune

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