No solution yet to stray cattle menace

Despite the orders of the Himachal Pradesh High Court, there has been no headway in the setting up of animal shelters for stray animals in Palampur. The state government had directed all Deputy Commissioners and SDMs to set up animal shelters in their respective jurisdiction and shift all the stray animals roaming on the highways and markets to these animal homes. Even after one year of the court order, not even a single new animal home has come up in Kangra, the largest district of the state.

The state government has already spent over Rs four crore on the construction of an animal shelter at Nagri, which was completed two years ago. The government has failed to make it operational.

The stray cattle population which is rising everyday continues to crowd the streets, state roads and national highways in Kangra district. The local administration, municipal councils, village panchayats and the Animal Husbandry Dept have turned a blind eye to the menace.

Stray cattle can be seen loitering in busy bazaars, narrow streets and highways causing accidents and inconvenience to pedestrians and commuters alike. Recently, a stray cow knocked down an old man in the market while he was buying vegetables. In Palampur, three persons were killed by stray bulls in the last one year. In a similar incident, a 45- year-old woman received injuries when a bull knocked her down. Thus, there has been a growing concern among locals to get rid of stray animals from the bylanes of the town and the highways.

B K Sood, a social activist and a local resident quipped, “Areas like Nehru Chowk, old bus stand, sabzi mandi, Ghuggar, court road should be made free of stray cattle”.

“The situation in Ghuggar, the most thickly populated area of Palampur, is still worse. Herds of stray cows and bulls remain gathered near the Kalibari Temple to give a harrowing time to senior citizens and schoolgoing children. The risk of vehicles hitting the wandering beasts and the trails of excreta the animals leave behind on the road surface are a nuisance,” he said.

Peoples Voice’ a voluntary organisation of the town has urged the High Court of Himachal Pradesh to direct the state government, particularly the Deputy Commissioner Kangra and the civic agencies, to file a status report on the management of stray cattle in the town and issue directions to them to take necessary steps.