Deaths due to stray cattle: Authorities continue to sleep

Mohit Khanna

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, December 17

The death of migrant labourer Shambhu (35) has brought to fore the callous attitude of authorities once again, who are turning a blind eye towards the growing stray-cattle menace.

Even animal rights activists who make a hue and cry on the issue of cruelty over animals prefer to maintain a stoic silence on the issue.

Residents blame the civic authorities for the increasing menace of stray cattle which are posing risk to the lives of the residents in city.

Kawarjatinder Singh Bajwa, a resident of Chander Nagar, said: “The government needs to form a policy and create cattle shelters to stop such accidents. There has been a phenomenal rise in such incidents where people have been killed by raging bulls.”

ML Sharma, a resident of Khanna, said: “The menace has reached its boiling point. There have been reports people, to get rid of their cattle, leave these in the village or on roadsides where these often become accident victims.”

According to a rough estimate, there are over 1,500 stray cattle in the town and on the National Highway- I.

However, some institution are sincerely working in this direction and have opened cow shelters, but the civic body is doing precious little in this direction. These cattle graze around vegetable markets and temples and sleep on the road. During night, commuters often collide with these animals causing mishaps.

Industrialist Ajit Lakra, volunteers of Dhyan Foundation, which had recently started a drive of putting reflector tapes around the neck of stray cattle under the guidance of Yogi Ashwani, said: “We have received encouraging reports. Most of the districts within the state have placed orders and we have delivered approximately 5,000 reflectors tapes so far. We have received encouraging feedbacks from Fazilka, Pathankot, Jalandhar, Ferozepur, Sangrur, Rajpura, Barnala, Zeera, Hoshiapur and Tarn Taran.”

Anil Jain another member of the foundation said: “We are going to meet the Chief Minister of Haryana and after meeting him we will visit Rajasthan, Gujrat and Uttar Pradesh (UP). At the same time, we are requesting the Punjab Government to provide us land so that we could provide shelter to these animals to put an end to such mishaps. Further, these animals are eating rubbish, including plastic, and dying a miserable death.”

A proposal was mooted to build cattle shelters near vegetable markets, but the matter still remains undecided. Shambhu’s death would perhaps wake the babus from their deep slumber and prompt them to act.