Menace in Mohali: 6 months on, contractor fails to rein in stray cattle

Sanjay Bumbroo

Mohali, April 13

Even as the MC hired a contractor to catch stray cattle, the menace continues to persist in Mohali, leading to traffic chaos and even accidents.

According to information, the MC had hired the contractor in September last year and was to be paid Rs. 1,500 for each animal caught. Councillors alleged that the contractor failed to deliver, while the latter claimed that he was helpless as the MC-run gaushala was packed to capacity.

The MC has one gaushala in the Industrial Area, Phase 1, with a capacity of 700 animals. Four years ago, there was a proposal to create a new cattle pound, but so far nothing worked out in this connection.

Sources said at every House meeting of the MC, the issue of stray cattle was raised, but the civic body had failed in checking the menace.

Sajan Yadav, the contractor, said only a limited number of animals could be caught as the gaushala run by the MC was short of space. He said it was also difficult to catch milch animals from areas such as Sector 68 as they run and enter Kumbra village.

MC Commissioner Kamal Kumar Garg said they had written to the police several times to register cases against the owners of animals found roaming on the road, but no action had been taken so far. He added that they would now again take up the matter with the police.

It is pertinent to mention here that in the past one year, at least five lives have been lost in accidents involving stray cattle in this town.

Stray cattle can be spotted wandering in Sector 76 to 80, Sector 82, and Phase 9, MC office in Sector 68, Phase 11, Industrial Area, Phase 9, and Airport Road. There are an estimated 2,000 stray cattle in the town, but only 200 animals have been caught in the past one year. This, even as the MC body collected Rs. 50 lakh as cow cess every year.

Manjit Singh Sethi, former Deputy Mayor and councillor, said in August 2018, the MC had increased the fine to be imposed on the owners of impounded stray cattle from Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 20,000, only to bring it back to Rs. 5,000 in the next House meeting. The MC had even decided to charge the owner Rs. 500 a day for the upkeep of the animal that was caught, but not a single owner had been penalised, he added.