Workers rounding up a cow at Kattur in Tiruchi.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Following repeated concerns raised by residents, the Tiruchi Corporation has planned to intensify its drive to impound stray cattle on city roads.
Residents and activists have been repeatedly raising the issue of stray cattle menace in their locality with the Corporation officials. The number of stray animals, including cows and horses, has witnessed a sharp increase, troubling motorists. It is said that the food and vegetable waste from the roadside shops and weekly markets attract stray animals to the residential localities.
“The civic body should make a concerted effort to impound stray animals and penalise the owners. The drive should be carried out periodically to put an end to the menace and ensure the safety of road users, especially at night,” said C. Balasubramanian, an activist.
Recently, the Corporation conducted drives to impound stray cattle to avert traffic bottlenecks in K.K. Nagar, Woraiyur, Kattur, Rajaram Road, and the Cantonment area. The animals rounded up by a private agency appointed by the civic body and were shifted to the cattle shelter at Konakkarai.
A senior Corporation official said the drive, which lost steam due to the Lok Sabha election, would be intensified in the coming days.
According to a source, 62 heads of stray cattle causing hindrance to the movement of vehicles on the road were impounded in April. A fine of ₹2.50 lakh had been collected from the owners who claimed possession of the cattle. The civic body collected ₹10.56 lakh by penalising the owners and auctioning the stray cattle between November 2022 and April 2024.
In 2023, the civic body procured two special vehicles fitted with hydraulic lifts and foldable ramps for impounding and shifting stray cattle to the shelter at Konakkarai. The owners have been asked to submit a written statement permitting the civic body to increase the penalty in future.