There seems to be no end for cattle menace on Chennai roads. Despite the civic body cracking the whip, the bovines still roam the roads, endangering lives.
Published Aug 23, 2024 | 12:00 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 23, 2024 | 12:00 PM
Civic body workers impounding cattle in Chennai. (Supplied)
Cows roaming the streets have become a headache for motorists on Chennai’s crowded roads.
On 10 August, a 30-year-old man was thrown off his bike after it hit a stray cow. The man was caught under the wheels of a passing lorry. He died instantly at Somangalam near Tambaram.
It was not a one-off case. On 22 June, a man was similarly thrown off his bike on the Vandalur-Meenjur Outer Ring Road at Malayambakkam. He bled to death without receiving treatment.
The same day, a cow caused a five-vehicle pile-up on the Outer Ring Road near Thirumudivakkam. Seven people were injured in the multiple-vehicle collision that involved four cars and a lorry. A car driver applying a sudden brake to avoid hitting a cow led to the mishap.
Besides causing road accidents, cattle running amok, too, have led to injuries and even deaths.
Two persons, including a woman, were grievously injured when a buffalo hit them at Tiruvottiyur on 17 June. An old man, who was gored by a stray cow at Tiruvallikeni died while undergoing treatment.
A girl was injured after a cow hit her at Arumbakkam MMDA Colony while she was returning home from school. She spent a month in hospital.
Incidentally, the Greater Chennai Corporation has imposed a fine of ₹5,000 on owners of cows found roaming the roads. The fine would double if the cow was found roaming again.
In 2023, 4,237 cows were caught and a fine of ₹92,04,700 was collected. Till 25 June 2024, 1,212 cows were caught and a total fine of ₹43.85 lakh was slapped on their owners.
Despite the civic body cracking the whip, cows still roam the roads, endangering lives.
A Greater Chennai corporation official, who wished to remain anonymous, said steps were being made to auction off cows impounded for a third time.
“Cattle are being microchipped to identify if they were caught wandering the streets before. If the same cows are caught for the third time, action will be taken to auction them,” he said.
“Cases will be registered against the owners if the stray cows cause harm to the public or cause accidents, or if the owners obstruct catching the cattle,” he added.
Additional locations have been identified jointly with the Animal Husbandry and Revenue Departments to set up cattle pounds.
Traffic police sub-inspector Pandivelu said typically action would be taken against the cattle owner once on registering an accident case. Almost all cases, however, are bailable.
“The traffic police do not charge any fine for stray cows on the roads,” he said.
(Edited by Majnu Babu)
(South First is now on WhatsApp and Telegram)
