The Hindu 09.12.2013
“End stray cattle menace”
As stray cattle poses hardships to road-users, there are lots of expectations from the Corporation authorities to regulate them and prevent accidents.
Even as most of the roads here, particularly the interior ones, are dangerous to road-users because of potholes and encroachments, stray cattle have made the roads unsafe for all users.
Corporation officials received appeals from the locals to control the cattle.
Subsequently, Commissioner T. Mohan warned through a statement that the stray cattle would be impounded and the attached animals could be freed only after the owners paid the fine.
However, no visible action has been taken so far against the animals, particularly the bovine species that freely move around on almost all busy roads in Tirunelveli and Palayamkottai.
Even after two bulls were fatally knocked down by a speeding unidentified vehicle in front of INS Kattabomman Receiving Station on the Tirunelveli-Nagercoil Highway recently no action has been taken. The carcasses triggered a few accidents involving bikes as they remained on the road for nearly four hours since early morning.
After drizzle started with the onset of monsoon in October, the cattle, unable to lie on moist ground, have shifted their base to dry and relatively warm roads, especially during the night to take rest. Even during the day, the stray cattle, undeterred by the speeding vehicles, either stand on the middle of the road or take rest on the thoroughfares causing accidents.
Admitting that no action has been taken to impound the stray cattle, a senior Corporation official said that no fund had been allotted for buying fodder to feed the stray cattle after impounding them. “Since the owners may take their own to time to rescue their animals after paying the fine, we should be ready to feed the animals as long as they are under our custody. Once the funds and the personnel to catch the stray cattle are available, our operation against the cattle wandering along the roads will begin,” he said.
