Moo-lah! That is what the municipal authorities are rolling out for Delhi's cattle owners if they allow a tiny microchip ID to be inserted in their bulls, cows and buffalos.

According to Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) officials, the insertion of the microchip - carrying data on age, breed, owner details and the health history of the animals - can help trace stray cattle to their owners.

And as inducement, the MCD is offering insurance, loans, profits, medical facilities and more to cattle owners who agree to insert the microchip in their animals.

Delhi, like several other cities in the country, is plagued by the problem of stray cattle - officially estimated at over 30,000 - which come from the city's 2,655 illegal dairies.

They wander in the city, block traffic, defecate on roads and even attack people, with at least five people having been gored to death since February.

The owners will be able to avail themselves of cow loan, free life-long cow insurance, birth and death certificates and life-long medical check-ups for their animals.

The microchip that costs Rs.900 ($22) will be embedded into the animal's abdomen through an oral pill. Each chip will have a Unique Cattle Identification (UCI) number that will reveal the owner's name and the dairy to which it belongs.

"With a lifetime payment of Rs.900, these owners can have their cows insured for any accident or untimely death. They can also avail themselves of a quarterly health audit and 24-hour mobile veterinary service," MCD Veterinary Officer S.K. Yadav told IANS.

He said 200 people would be employed to collect cow dung from farms and provide farmers with biogas at very nominal rates.

"If they (farmers) wish, milk can also be collected from their doorstep and will be processed and sold in the market," Yadav said.

"Insurance for cattle has been a long-standing demand of the owners. But no company was coming forward as cattle cover was risky business with owners not easily identifiable."

However, the New India Insurance Company has now agreed to provide an insurance cover for the cattle, but only for the ones with the chip.

The company has already insured the first batch of cattle - 10 buffalos and a cow - on May 20, officials said.

While it will bring a lot of goodies for the owners, the chip will come with a condition attached - shifting all livestock to the government dairy coming up at Ghoga-Narela on the city's outskirts, which will be fully operational by Dec 31.

"Right now, we are collecting money for the dairy plot from cattle owners at the rate of Rs.75,000 for every five cattle. This is 50 percent of the total amount and the balance has to be paid when a plot in the dairy is allotted to them," said Yadav.

"The owners can avail themselves of the loan facility from Canara Bank to pay the second half of the amount. They do not have to repay in cash, but can repay in milk," Yadav said.

Often stray cattle seized from the roads are set free soon. Besides, tracing stray cattle to their owners is often an impossible task.

The MCD therefore came up with the dairy plan so that all cattle could be tethered under one roof. MCD officials are hoping that by Dec 31, almost all the dairies in the city will be shifted to Ghoga-Narela.

Till May 30, around 500 applicants had already paid up Rs.58 million for their share of the plots. Though the pace of sale is slow, and there is some resistance too, officials expect it to pick up soon.

"Several dairy owners have started coming forward for the plots, knowing that their cattle will be subjected to regular health audits. They will get the full benefits of the mechanised milking there too," Yadav said.