Gujarat to deploy AI to tackle stray cattle menace in Ahmedabad

The Gujarat government has launched a pilot project in Ahmedabad to address problems caused by stray cattle with the help of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

The project aims to streamline the identification of stray cows, which are a major cause of traffic congestion and road accidents in the city.

At present, Amdavad Municipal Corporation (AMC) teams identify stray cattle by manually analysing images captured through CCTV cameras and matching them with microchips and RFID tags.

Officials said the process is time-consuming and labour-intensive. To overcome these challenges, the administration has decided to deploy AI-based solutions to speed up identification and reduce human effort.

The AI Centre of Excellence at GIFT City, Gandhinagar, has appointed an agency to develop an AI model for the project. 

Under the system, images captured by CCTV cameras will be integrated into the AI platform to identify cows in real time and trace their owners. Officials explained that a cow’s nose pattern serves as a unique biometric identifier, similar to fingerprints in humans. The model will scan facial features, including the nose, eyes and other visible marks, to identify the animal and match it with the existing database.

As per AMC, around 1.10 lakh cows in Ahmedabad have already been fitted with RFID tags and microchips, and their data is maintained by the civic body. CCTV cameras installed at 130 junctions across the city are currently used to capture images of stray cattle.

If implemented successfully, the AI-based system is expected to significantly improve the management of stray cattle and help mitigate traffic and public safety issues in Ahmedabad, officials said.