Invasion of the cows: Chennai motorists forced to share roads with cattle

by A Special Correspondent

It was past midnight when Latha, a resident of Thiruvanmiyur, hopped into her car. She had an emergency on her hands – her son was unwell but there no medicines at home. Latha bought the necessary medication from a 24×7 pharmacy on East Coast Road and was driving back home when she was held up for crucial minutes near a turning. Not only was the area blocked by traffic barriers arranged in a ‘zig zag’ position, but it was also obstructed by a herd of four or five cows, all of which had made themselves comfortable around the barricades. “It may sound amusing on the face of it, but I had quite a bit of trouble crossing the stretch,” she said, adding that cattle don’t seem to respect car horns very much.

Latha may not know it, but she is lucky. According to media reports, the city and its suburbs lose at least 40 citizens every year to road accidents involving stray animals; over a 100 are injured annually. With the menace of stray animals worsening in recent times, that figure has reportedly risen by 30% over the last year in Tamil Nadu. Experts suggest it could be much higher, since such cases are not always registered under the appropriate head.

According to official estimates, the city counts around 20,000 head of cattle. Reports say that these animals disrupt traffic in various parts of the city such as Walajah Road, Barathi Salai, Triplicane High Road as well as highway stretches such as Poonamallee High Road and Maduravoyal. The problem even drew the ire of the Madras High Court in February this year, when it asked the Greater Chennai Corporation why there seemed to be little action against cattle owners who let their cows and buffaloes roam on public roads. The Acting Chief Justice pointed out that he could see cattle disrupting traffic even on Kamarajar Salai.

The seeming lack of improvement in this state of affairs is a bit puzzling, for it was just last month that the ­Chennai Corporation had taken steps to address the problem. It was announced that special teams of the GCC would patrol arterial roads, bus routes and congested streets in order to impound any stray cattle found in public areas. It was reported that the first phase of patrolling would be launched in Villivakam, Anna Nagar, Triplicane and Koyambedu, with 65 cattle catchers and 15 vehicles forming the patrol fleet. Owners of impounded animals stand to pay Rs.1,550 and unclaimed animals go into the care of the Blue Cross.

While fines generally are a capable deterrent, it can be argued that in this case, they may simply be treating the symptom and not the underlying disease, so to speak. For a question remains that deserves consideration – why do cattle owners allow their cattle to roam the city roads in the first place? After all, it’s not just the motorist who is at risk in the event of an accident – the animals stand to suffer, too. It is questionable that cattle owners have anything to gain from prolonging this menace. The likeliest answer is that they lack access to cattle shelters; for instance, a recent news report claims that cattle owners allow their cattle to roam the roads when the grazing fields near the river are inundated with water.

If that is the case, why not build more cattle shelters within the city to house such livestock? A subsidised cattle shelter will not only provide owners with the facility to lodge their cows in a safe place, but also improve the chances of keeping such animals away from the street, saving motorists from palpable risk. It is not unthinkable that cattle owners would pay subsidised rates for these services; after all, media reports in the past have provided first-hand accounts from cattle impounders who admit to turning a blind eye on receiving a monthly payment from the cattle owners. If the shelter rent is cheaper than paying a fine, it may actively encourage owners to seek safe lodging for their livestock.

With the Madras High Court underlining its displeasure at the matter, it is hoped that authorities will soon draft a long-term solution to tackle this long-running menace.

Please follow and like us: