Stray cattle menace continues unabated

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, August 20

The problem of stray cattle has been constantly troubling people in the city. Though several drives have been undertaken by the Municipal Corporation (MC) to resolve the issue, it has failed to produce significant results.

Cows, bulls and bullocks can be easily seen roaming around on main roads which often lead to accidents. Be it the city side areas like Madhopuri, Shivpuri, Jassian Road or posh localities such as BRS Nagar, Sarabha Nagar or Gurdev Nagar, stray cattle can be seen everywhere. Over Rs 20 crore has been collected as cow cess but efforts to solve the problem of stray cattle have proved to be inadequate.

Senior officials from the Municipal Corporation cite the shortage of space for sheltering these cows as the main reason why they find themselves helpless in solving the issue.

“Shortage of space is a major concern before us. Approximately 2,000 stray cattle have already been relocated to various gaushalas in and around the city and the MC is meeting their daily expenses. We are also planning to construct three more sheds in future and approximately 500 animals will be shifted there,” said an official.

“Last year, I met with an accident when a cow came on the road running from nowhere. I fractured my leg and it was a horrific incident. The authorities concerned should do something to locate them as they create a nuisance and pose serious threat to lives,” said Tarun Aggarwal, a city resident.

The stray cattle are also a major traffic hazard and this is also posing risk to people driving vehicles, especially two-wheelers. Strict action should be taken against the dairy owners who abandon their cows once they are unable to give milk, said Malliat Singh, a resident of Haibowal. “Microchips should be installed on cows to help identify their owners if they are found abandoned on the roads,” he added.

Another resident from Rishi Nagar said the MC had collected huge cow cess but was not using it to handle the menace of stray cattle. It had become a serious concern for people and should be taken care of at the earliest, he added.