Supreme Court seeks response on stray cattle on highways

The Supreme Court has sought responses from the Centre and others on a plea to prevent stray cattle from entering highways. The petition calls for national guidelines, fencing, shelters, and compensation measures to address accidents caused by stray animals

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday sought responses from the Centre and others on a plea seeking directions to the authorities to ensure that stray cattle are kept away from national and state highways across the country.

A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta issued notice to the Centre and others, including the states, Union Territories and the Animal Welfare Board of India, seeking their responses on the plea within four weeks.

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The bench observed that several states were charging 10 per cent cow cess but were doing nothing.

The counsel appearing for the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) told the bench that the apex court has already reserved its order in the stray dogs case, which also covers the issue of stray animals entering highways.

The counsel appearing for the petitioner ‘Lawyers For Human Rights International’ said largely the issue would be covered by the stray dogs case verdict, but there were certain other aspects which were raised in this petition.

The bench issued notice on the plea and posted it for hearing after four weeks.

The plea has sought directions to the authorities to frame and enforce uniform national guidelines to prevent cattle intrusion on highways.

It sought directions for mandatory fencing of national highways and expressways, particularly on accident-prone stretches.

It also sought the establishment of scientifically managed cattle shelters/’gaushalas’ with earmarked funding, and the imposition of strict penal liability for illegal abandonment of cattle.

Besides other directions, the plea also sought the formulation of a no-fault compensation framework for victims of accidents caused by stray cattle.

On January 29, the top court told the NHAI to consider asking concessionaires involved in the construction of roads to set up a ‘gaushala’ (cowshed) under CSR responsibility to take care of stray animals entering the highways.

The apex court had reserved its verdict on a batch of petitions seeking modification of its November 7 last year order on relocation and sterilisation of stray dogs.

Taking note of the “alarming rise” in dog bite incidents within institutional areas such as educational institutions, hospitals and railway stations, the apex court on November 7, 2025 directed relocation of stray canines forthwith to designated shelters after due sterilisation and vaccination.

It had also said stray dogs picked up shall not be released back to their original place. The court had directed authorities to ensure the removal of all cattle and other stray animals from state highways, national highways and expressways.

The top court was then hearing a suo motu case, initiated on July 28 last year, over a media report on stray dog bites leading to rabies, particularly among children, in the national capital.