NOIDA: With temperatures continue to rise in the district, the Gautam Budh Nagar administration has directed authorities managing cow shelters to ensure availability of adequate cooling arrangements, clean drinking water and fodder for the stray cattle housed at “gaushalas”, officials said on Wednesday.“Special arrangements such as shaded areas, clean and cool drinking water, fans and cooling systems should be ensured at all cow shelters so that the cattle do not face any inconvenience during the heatwave. Directions have been issued to ensure adequate arrangements,” additional district magistrate (ADM) (judicial) Priyanka told HT. (HT Archive)All shelter operators have been instructed to strengthen heatwave preparedness measures to prevent distress among cattle during peak summer conditions, they added.“Special arrangements such as shaded areas, clean and cool drinking water, fans and cooling systems should be ensured at all cow shelters so that the cattle do not face any inconvenience during the heatwave. Directions have been issued to ensure adequate arrangements,” additional district magistrate (ADM) (judicial) Priyanka told HT.Directions have been also issued to ensure adequate availability of dry fodder, green fodder and other basic facilities at all shelters, and a special drive has been ordered to ensure “100% protection” of stray cattle across the district, said officials.“Nodal officers have to regularly inspect gaushalas and verify the actual number of cattle by matching physical records with entries on the official portal and registers. The move aims at improving monitoring and transparency,” the ADM said.Additionally, officials have been directed to share IP addresses and login credentials of CCTV cameras installed at cow shelters with the chief veterinary officer within three days to boost oversight mechanisms.Officials have been directed to identify vacant Gram Sabha land for cultivation of green fodder to ensure long-term feed availability for cattle shelters.Authorities currently operate multiple major cow shelters cross Noida and Greater Noida to manage stray cattle.In Noida, the largest operational shelter is located in Sector 135 near the Yamuna floodplains and currently houses nearly 800 cattle. Authorities recently ordered construction of two additional sheds to raise capacity by around 100 cattle.Officials have also referred to another shelter at Sector 14A, which houses nearly 500 cattle. In Greater Noida, the major authority-run gaushalas are located at Jalpura and Pauwari villages. The Jalpura shelter houses around 1,500 cows and is set to get Greater Noida’s first compressed biogas plant for processing cattle waste, while the new (CHECK)XXXX Pauwari shelter can accommodate around 500 stray cattle, and includes separate enclosures, fodder storage units and veterinary care facilities.The shelters have become increasingly important amid persistent stray cattle concerns across Noida and Greater Noida, particularly along the expressways and internal roads, where residents have repeatedly flagged accident risks and traffic disruptions caused by roaming cattle, said officials.Discussions are also being held regarding strengthening of the cow conservation and protection fund through public participation and contributions from institutions and social organisations, they added.“Cow protection is among the government’s priorities and negligence at any level will not be tolerated,” the ADM (judicial) said, while directing departments to ensure timely and effective implementation of all measures..