Citizen Connect: Stop cattle menace, impose hefty fine on owners: Pammal residents

CHENNAI: The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) might have increased the penalty against persons who let their cattle roam on the streets. However, the other Corporations are yet to take a cue from the GCC and act with seriousness.

The issue of cattle menace still exists in and around the Pammal region of Pallavaram, which comes under Tambaram Corporation.

Though an exact location can’t be pinpointed where the stray cattle can be found, residents in almost all the areas coming under Pammal Municipality, have raised complaints against the problem.

“No action was taken till now despite several complaints,” B Ravi Shankar, a resident and an office goer living at Nalla Thambi Street at the centre of Pammal area said.

“The cattle herd, which could be seen in one street today, will be found on another road tomorrow,” he claimed, and called upon the officials concerned to put a full stop to this persistent issue immediately.”

However, a senior official from the Pammal Municipality, seeking anonymity, said that the officials were slapping fines regularly on the owners, who let their cattle out.

Pointing out that in addition to imposing a fine against the offenders, the cattle were also seized, the official said that somehow or other, the cattle owners, through their influence, got back their cattle by giving several false promises that they would not repeat the offence.

“The fine has to be increased several fold by the Corporation and then only we will get a permanent solution to this issue in the future,” the municipal official said.

M Kalaiselvi, a housewife, also said that sometimes it was difficult to go out and buy milk in the morning due to the roaming of cattle in the streets.

“For senior citizens, it would be more difficult,” she said adding, “Therefore, this issue should be solved immediately”.

D Balakrishnan, an IT employee, who comes late in the night on his motorcycle, said, “Since the street lights are poor, it is difficult to view especially buffaloes, which are found right in the middle of the road.”