Milk from Chennai Corporation cow sheds becomes a hit among residents

For the people of Chennai who have been looking for fresh cow milk and buying it from other sources, the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) cattle shelters in 17 locations have emerged as an alternative. Now, they can buy milk during mornings and evenings directly from the sheds, which have also removed the danger of cows and buffaloes feeding on plastics and other garbage.

“It is safe for an infant, so anyone can consume it,” says Basheera Begum, waiting to buy fresh milk at the GCC cattle shelter on Peter’s Road. “It is sweet even without sugar, unadulterated and healthier than packet milk,” she adds.

Pricing varies by location. At Peter’s Road, cow milk retails at ₹80 per litre, ₹85 if a customer needs a container as well. Similar prices were noted in Manali as well. Meanwhile, cow milk is sold for ₹60 at the Basin Bridge shed, and ₹80 for buffalo milk.

Manoj, a GCC official in the Royapuram Zone, clarifies that the Corporation does not regulate sales or pricing directly, and it is between the customers and the cattle owners. There are no formal quality checks of the produce, but veterinarians conduct daily health screenings, and 12 CCTV cameras monitor the Basin Bridge facility, he noted.

Cattle owner Bala, petting his ‘Kutta Maadu‘, a Tamil-Nadu native breed, says, “Street-roaming cattle eat plastic. But here, cows have only bran and oil cakes, even unsold veggies and fruits from nearby supermarkets. Here, they are well sheltered, healthy under fans and veterinary care, thus yielding superior milk than those tied up on the roadsides. We sell an average of 20 to 25 litres [of milk] every day. The profits are pretty much the same as they used to be before, but the cows, who are like family, are safer and the milk is better.”

Varying charges

Owners must pay a daily rental of ₹10 per head to the GCC. At the Basin Bridge shelter, housing 550 animals of over 45 owners, Sowcarpet locals cover rental costs, exempting owners, civic officials said. However, in NGO-managed sheds, such as those under the Chennai Kaalnadai Vivasaigal Mattrum Paal Vyabarigal Nala Sangam, owners incur additional daily fees of ₹30. GCC would investigate these supplementary charges, said a senior official.

A senior GCC official said that the response was good from locals over the last seven months at the Royapuram facility — the largest, and at Manali where the milk is sold for the past three months. “The primary objective remains clearing streets of stray cattle to mitigate man-animal conflict,” the official said.

Despite these efforts, stray cows are still found in the streets of Triplicane and Zam Bazaar. The Corporation, therefore, plans a new shelter at Krishnapuram, situated between Mylapore and Triplicane, which is likely to be opened in March.