Stray cattle are creating a menace on the roads and are responsible for various accidents along the highway on a daily basis. “A large number of cattle sit in the middle of the highway and this affects vehicular movement,” said Uday Dessai who uses the road every day. These stray animals are also found on the internal roads in Cuncolim, Assolna, Velim and Chinchinim. The problem is at its peak in the evening as drivers are put through hardship when they use the road to commute. Two wheeler riders are the worst affected as accidents are a common occurrence. Despite the efforts of the government and court restrictions, the menace seems to increase day by day. No municipality or Panchayat has taken cognizance of the issue and attempted to solve it yet. In Assolna and Cuncolim alone, seven two wheeler riders have met with accidents in the past two weeks. Last year, a milk van driver was killed due to the interference of cattle. The Honourable High Court issued guidelines for authorities and panchayat bodies to take serious measures to solve the stray cattle issue. The state government also issued directions to authorities to construct cattle pounds in their respective localities to impound the animals while also making it compulsory for all local self government bodies to start a campaign against the stray animals and have issued directions to appoint a cattle pound keeper on a regular basis. The government even started a campaign with the help of the animal husbandry department but this too saw no solution. Not a single municipality in Goa has succeeded in catching a cow or buffalo. Very often it is very dificult to catch the animals. The owners are nowhere to be seen either. Some municipalities feel that stray cattle are out of their reach. It also becomes an issue for these municipalities to look after the animals in captivity. “If the government proposes an auction, no one comes forward with any bids,” said an oficial from the animal husbandry department.
