Residents of Raja Annamalai Puram are raising a concern over what they see as a lack of will on the part of local authorities to bring cattle owners on the carpet for letting their bovines loose.
On the streets of RA Puram, stray cattle trigger disturbances that range from trampled gardens to traffic disruptions. This situation prompted Raja Anamalaipuram Residents Association (RAPRA) to call a meeting with cattle owners around a year ago. Despite the chiding, these owners are yet to effect any change in their bovines’ workaday schedule — the cattle continue to beat about the streets of R.A. Puram through the day, and in some cases, into the night as well. RAPRA had to step in as there is no visible sign that Greater Chennai Corporation is impounding stray cattle and slapping the hefty stipulated fine on the owners.
At best, a sluggishly moving bovine on the road is an irritant to road users. At worst, it can cause a major road accident, having scuttled across the road. Thankfully in R.A. Puram, no major accident has been linked to stray cattle so far. But everything short of that has transpired, according to residents.
On R.A.Puram Sixth Main Road, Deva, a grocer told this reporter that on one occasion, when his shop was unguarded, half-eaten fruits and vegetables were lying on the road in front of the shop. CCTV footage revealed two cows were behind the shop-lifting. The shop keeper notes that once successful with “pilfering”, the cattle keep returning to the shop and put their luck to the test again. He added that when people feed cattle, they return the next day thinking they will get food again, so the cattle should not take the blame in its entirety.
Residents also have stories of four-legged break-ins: stray cattle entering premises and rummaging through bins and making a mess of the place. The stray cattle do the same to the garbage bins on the streets, adding to the workload of the conservancy workers. Besides, stray cattle nibble at saplings. There have been cases of stray cattle displaying aggressive behaviour.
Residents and shop owners want Corporation to tackle this issue by the horns, impounding stray cattle regularly so that cattle owners think twice before letting their bovines loose.
(Rajalakshmi V is an intern with The Hindu)
