This is the shocking moment a cow dragged a municipal worker along a road for half a mile after his leg became tangled in a rope during a cattle control operation in India.

The employee, a member of a local animal impounding team, had been tasked with capturing stray bovines when the incident occurred in Vadodara, Gujarat, on October 10.

The team had arrived in the Varsiya area to round up loose cattle when the man threw a rope around the cow's neck, prompting the startled animal to panic and bolt.

Reports said the worker was unaware that the cord had become entangled around his leg, causing him to lose his balance and be violently dragged across the road.

Footage shows the terrified man being pulled behind the animal at speed, while bystanders look on in shock.

Several people quickly rushed to help, and when the cow finally slowed down, locals were able to intervene and free the injured man.

India has hundreds of thousands of cows roaming its streets.

It is partly due to devout locals who follow Hindu customs, with cows regarded as sacred animals that cannot be eaten or slaughtered once they have stopped producing milk. The majority of states ban the sale or slaughter of cows.

Instead of dealing with the economic burden of keeping their spent cattle, many farmers let the beasts roam the streets - leading to chaos when the animals become agitated and turn their fury on humans.