80-year-old dies in cow attack in Triplicane
The octogenarian, Sundaram, differently abled with speech impairment, was attacked and injured by a cow that was loitering in the area
Representative Image
CHENNAI: After witnessing three back-to-back cases of attacks by roaming bovines, the city recorded its first casualty on Friday night in 80-year-old Sundaram, gored by a stray cow in Triplicane.
Sundaram, who has speech and hearing difficulty, was admitted to the government multi-superspeciality hospital, Omandurar with injuries on October 18, and succumbed after the treatment failed, police sources said.
Meanwhile, the civic body has intensified its efforts to contain the menace, slapping fines on the cattle owners. This year alone, over 2,000 cattle have been impounded for straying and fined.
Mayor: Cattle caught thrice to be impounded permanently
Mayor R Priya said due to age-related issues, the patient could not respond to treatment. She said if the cattle are caught for a third time, they will be impounded permanently, while the owners would be allowed to milk and feed the cows.
“The bull, which caused serious injury leading to hospitalisation of Sundaram, was caught and moved to Goshala at Kancheepuram. As many as 2,000 cattle, let out to roam the streets regularly, have been identified. Also ‘hot spots’ are being identified and Kodungaiyur is one of them along with Koyambedu,” GCC commissioner J Radhakrishnan told DT Next.
“It may not be practical for identifying and providing space within the GCC limits for owners to raise their cattle, which is their request. They cannot be dependent on the civic body to provide such facilities,” he said.
“In an earlier instance, when space was identified apart from relocating the cattle in railway land in Bharathi Salai, the owners went on for rearing more cattle instead of regulating them,” said Radhakrishnan adding, “We are also sensitising the vegetable market owners and areas around the shrine against discarding vegetables and spinach on streets, thereby encouraging stray cattle grazing.”
Stating that the problem is acute in Koyambedu including Arumbakkam with 513 stray cattle, he said Mylapore and Triplicane have 367 stray bovines. So far, 3,853 cattle were caught, 262 this month alone, for roaming and causing nuisance for the public. A total of Rs 78.82 lakh in fine amount has been collected in the city.In the last two months, five FIRs have been filed and the cattle owners have been warned for failure to provide shelter, feed and water, Radhakrishnan added.