India, Aug. 25 -- The city administration has failed to build any new cow shelters, or gaushalas, for stray cattle in over two decades, municipal officials said on Monday. Data from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi's (MCD) veterinary department shows that shelters already house 20,485 cows - well beyond their sanctioned capacity of 19,838 - leaving thousands of stray cattle on the city's streets and choking existing facilities.

"Initially, six official gaushalas were set up in the late 1990s - three in Narela-Bawana and three in Najafgarh. One unit was closed in the initial phase, while the Acharya Sushil Muni Gaushala was shut down in 2018, due to mismanagement and a high mortality rate. Despite repeated appeals for more space, no new...