Representative image (File)
CHENNAI: The problem of stray cattle having run-ins with motorists and passers-by in Chennai is a never-ending concern. This week, a differently-abled octogenarian was injured after being attacked by a stray cow in Triplicane. He was attempting to get out of the way of an oncoming rickshaw when he came in proximity of the bovine animal, which tossed him into the air with its horns. The incident led to the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) intensifying its drive against stray cattle in the neighbourhood, which resulted in the rounding up and seizure of 14 cows.
In this recent episode, the victim escaped with a few injuries. However, not everyone is lucky. Last month, a family of four was thrown off a bike when it collided with stray cattle near Tambaram. A three-year-old boy who rode pillion was killed while the other riders suffered minor injuries. The incident came close on the heels of yet another two-wheeler rider, a woman, succumbing to an accident caused by stray cattle in the same location two months earlier.
This August, citizens were shell-shocked to see the footage of a school student from Arumbakkam being gored by a stray bovine animal. While the child escaped with a few injuries, the incident was a sad reminder of how the GCC officials had faltered in their duties to crack down on the menace of stray cattle. Citizens have bemoaned the indifference of senior bureaucrats, who had been weighed down by the political clout held by several cattle owners in the city.
A drive-down stretches of ECR and OMR shows how widespread this malady is. In Thiruvanmiyur, Neelankarai, Perungudi, and Thoraipakkam, navigating the streets has become an obstacle course. Closer to the city center, Triplicane, Vadapalani, and the farther reaches of Villivakkam have turned into the hubs of stray cattle.
Read: Facing menace, motorists in suburbs blame officials of apathy
The Chennai Corporation impounded as many as 3,737 cattle so far this year and imposed penalties on their owners. Last month, the Corporation also increased the fine amount from Rs 2,000 to Rs 5,000 for first-time offenders, while repeat offenders were to be penalised Rs 10,000. However, in August, it was reported that close to 2,800 owners of cattle were caught after their animals were found loitering on the streets. Not a single police complaint was lodged.
Stakeholders are of the opinion that cattle owners are being left with a slap on the wrist as the penalties are not acting as a deterrent. Some have argued in favour of invoking stringent IPC provisions and designating stray bovine animals as a threat to the life and safety of citizens. It was also suggested that officers of GCC should be held accountable for episodes of such stray cattle causing a nuisance on roads or in neighbourhoods. But then, there is a need for a nuanced approach to this problem.
Those involved in the business of rearing bovine animals for the dairy industry complain about the absence of adequate grazing spaces like open farmlands in the city. Bereft of large-scale gaushalas to house these animals, the owners leave them untethered for a better part of the day, owing to which they encroach upon pavements and roads. And it’s also the reason why these animals end up eating out of dumpsters, which eventually gets back into our own food chain. Is it about time that cattle ownership is also treated on par with car ownership laws proposed in New Delhi — subject to the availability of parking space?