In spite of Chennai Corporation increasing the penalty on stray cattle roaming on the roads, we can still see them loitering freely on Poonamallee High Road, near Koyambeu and Maduravoyal, hindering traffic flow and testing motorists’ balancing skills.
Reports say that the civic body impounded 140 cattle from January to May this year.
After raising the penalty from around Rs 1,000 to Rs 10,750 in April, there was a dip in impounding of cattle in April and May.
But in August, September and October, workers impounded 75, 73 and 52 cattle roaming freely on the streets, sources said.
Despite officials saying cattle are not found inside the city limits, residents in and around Mugappair say that the animals are periodically found on city roads, holding up traffic. Gurumoorthy, a resident of Thiruvalleesvarar Nagar first brought this issue to our notice.
He said, “The maatu kottai owners leave their animals to graze on their own without accompanying them. When they cross the roads to access greener pastures, near the Cooum banks, it leads to traffic holdups and even accidents. Sometimes stray cattle literally rest in the middle of the roads for hours, disrupting traffic and posing hazards for everyone.”
He says that these incidents increased especially after strict regulations were imposed on cattle being sent to neighbouring states for slaughter.
Gurumoorthy said, “Once the cows and buffaloes stop giving milk, the animals are left to survive on their own. Sometimes, diseased animals do not fetch a good rate in the market and they are also abandoned on the roads. The Authorities should take strict action against such owners.”
In line with The Cattle-Trespass (Tamilnadu Amendment) Act, 1957, Chennai Corporation collects Rs 1,550 as a penalty and for maintenance from cattle owners, who let their animals stray on the city roads. If the offence is repeated, the cattle will be impounded and not returned.
But corporation workers revealed that they mostly avoid impounding and just warn the owners out of pity as it would be a loss of livelihood for the owner.
“It is an unspoken rule not to impound the cattle. Sometimes, the cattle owners pay us a little amount to leave their cattle alone,” he said on condition of anonymity.
| This news input was given by Thiruvalleeswarar Nagar resident, S Gurumoorthy. He is our Neighbourhood Journalist of The Week. |