Daily commute on the roads of Vellore has become a menace with stray cattle blocking the way on almost every lane in the town.
“The Vellore City Municipal Corporation which is supposed to initiate action against this menace is dormant,” says V. Jayakumar of Sankarampalayam.
“Several motorists have been injured after an encounter with these animals, which roam freely on Arcot Road, Arni Road, the service roads on either side of Chennai-Bengaluru Highway, Anna Salai and Katpadi Road,” Mr. Jayakumar added.
Collector’s warning
With stray cattle posing problems for road users in the form of increased number of accidents, the District Collector A. Shanmuga Sundaram has sounded a warning to those who fail to take care of their cattle — they would have to face penal action. But in reality, the order remains only on paper, except for superlative action by Corporation officials for a day, in capturing 16 cows from various roads in Vellore. Post this, they have become silent, for reasons better known to them.
The failure of cattle breeders to keep cows in their designated enclosures, purportedly due to a paucity of space, has led to the bovine animals making their presence felt on every major thoroughfare in the town.
With the onset of monsoon, the cattle, unable to lie on moist ground, have shifted their resting place to relatively warmer roads, especially during night hours. Even during the day, the stray cattle, undeterred by speeding vehicles, either stand on the middle of the road or take rest on the thoroughfares.
“Only stern action packed with hefty fines would deter the cattle owners from letting their cattle roam astray,” said Mr. Jayakumar.
