Citizen Connect: Residents concerned about cattle feeding on roadside food waste

Despite the Greater Chennai Corporation imposing a fine on cattle owners leaving the animals on roads, the menace continues, said a resident. “Sometimes, you can see more than 10 cattle simultaneously on the street. But no one is taking any measures to solve the issue,” said K Senthilkumaran, who is a resident here.

Stating that they have lodged several complaints with the Pammal Municipality, residents said that none of the officials took any steps to solve the issue permanently. “They (municipality officials) have slapped fine on the offenders several times but still the problem persists,” he said.

He added that cattle drag the garbages to the middle of road while eating the food waste and it inconveniences motorists who ride in the street. “At night, these animals are not visible to riders and this makes it an accident pone area,” Senthilkumaran added.

A senior official from the Pammal Municipality said that the government should come with stricter rules which will enable the authorities to seize the cattle if it is let loose on the roads. “Just imposing a fine against the owners will not solve the menace permanently,” the official said.

According to him, fine was imposed on more than 10 cattle owners in and around Pammal area in the last two months.

“Once I hit a buffalo, which was lying in the middle of the road in the night. Luckily, I escaped unhurt”, B Krishna Kumar, an office goer, said. He added that even four-wheeler drivers face similar issues while negotiating the cattle on the road. “First of all, the officials should look for a permanent solution to stop the garbage dumping on the street. Only then the strays will be contained,” he added.