350 workers of MC clear 82 stray cattle from Sirsa streets

Early Friday morning, around 350 civic body employees took to the streets of Sirsa, armed with sticks and accompanied by vehicles from the Fire Department, police, Civil Hospital ambulance and Animal Husbandry Department.

The team, led by District Municipal Commissioner Surender Beniwal, worked for two hours to capture 82 stray cattle from the city’s main roads and transported them to the Ramnagaria shelter.

The campaign aimed to make the city free of stray cattle, starting at key areas such as the main bus stand, Sirsa Club, ITI Chowk and Rania Road. To ensure public safety, a municipal vehicle drove ahead, announcing the drive to avoid accidents. Many employees walked, while others rode motorcycles, ensuring that no one came in contact with the cattle.

In addition to rounding up stray animals, the Commissioner inspected various dairy facilities along Rania Road. He instructed dairy owners to keep their animals tied and warned that any captured pet cattle would invite a fine. Commissioner Beniwal emphasised that the anti-stray cattle drive would continue regularly, noting that many of these animals were released by dairy owners after milking or were driven into the city by nearby villagers.

Currently, Sirsa has about 2,500 stray cattle roaming on its roads, causing frequent traffic accidents. Areas like Hisar Road, Dabwali Road, Barnala Road, Begu Road, Rania Road, Anaj Mandi, Civil Hospital Road, Noharia Bazaar, Bhadra Bazaar, and Rania Road are especially prone to cattle presence. The MC is committed to keeping the streets clear and safe for residents, with more rounds of collection planned in the coming weeks.

Local resident Sandeep Dhiman commented, “It remains to be seen how long this drive will actually last. Every street in the city is packed with stray cattle. A one-day drive might look good in the newspapers, but if we really want to make a difference, it needs to be a daily effort until every stray animal is moved from the streets of Sirsa to shelters.”

Shopkeeper Harish Kumar shared his concerns, stating, “We witness road accidents every day because of these cattle. I have personally taken 14 people to hospital after such accidents, but how long will this continue? This is a basic issue, yet it’s not being solved. It’s not only people who get injured in these accidents; animals get hurt too, but no one cares for their injuries.”