The New Indian Express 21.09.2010
Stray dogs, cattle drive vehicles to brink
SAMBALPUR: These days commuters in Sambalpur town have a difficult time manoeuvring vehicles through cattle and dogs lazing on the main roads. Though aware, the municipality is doing little to shoo them away.
Minor accidents have become a norm here with schoolchildren sustaining injuries. For once, it is not rash driving but for dogs that appear from nowhere bringing the twowheelers to a screeching halt.
The result: Vehicles turn turtle and there are bruises all over the body.
At night the scene changes a little: Dogs chase vehicles, which forces the rider to accelerate to avoid being bitten by the canines and then comes a crashing sound.
Interestingly, Sambalpur Municipality is aware of the problem and the issue was discussed at a meeting attended by Sambalpur MLA Jayanarayan Mishra and District Collector H K Dash. Although Mishra suggested that NGOs be roped in and the dogs sterilised to check their growing number, no step has yet been taken.
If this was not enough, stray livestock has taken over the streets. Hardly visible at night, they have made the town roads accidentprone. Bovines can be seen rummaging through the garbage strewn all over the town and at the fall of dusk they shift base to the roads squatting leisurely oblivious of the traffic. While steering the vehicles through them is difficult, it is next to impossible to drive them away. Sources said most of these cattle are owned by people but left on streets when they stop milking and taken back once ready for delivery.
Chairperson of Sambalpur Municipality Rina Trivedi said though there are no concrete plans, the matter can be taken up for discussion in the Municipal Council. She informed that the municipality does not have a cattle shed.
