PONDA: The age-old problem of cattle menace on roads in Ponda Taluka continues to persist, causing severe hardships to commuters.
Barring some of the panchayats, most of the others have failed to construct cattle shed for stray animals. As a result, the stray cattle population is growing on the roads.
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Local resident Tulshidas Naik said around two decades back, all the domestic cattle including cows and bullocks were having their own shed attached to every house in the villages. The cattle were source of earning in the form of milk and were also used for ploughing the fields. A cowherd used to take them for grazing.
Now, due to improved financial condition, many locals have given up their dairy business and agriculture activities. They have even abandoned their cattle. The most of cowsheds have now been converted into houses. Consequently, the cattle have been rendered homeless and left to wander, Naik said.
When the BDO office was asked about the efforts being taken by panchayats to resolve the stray cattle menace, it was learnt that out of 19 panchayats in Ponda taluka, only four of them signed MoU with Gaushalas to clear stray cattle from their villages.
Animal lover Sanket Narvekar said there is a need to follow High Court directions to clear the stray cattle wandering on road either by signing MoUs with NGOs or gaushalas or by erecting own cattle pound in their village.
Sources at Curti-Khandepar informed that after signing MoU with Bicholim-based gaushalas, so far 300 cattle from their panchayat area have been lifted by the gaushala.
The stray cattle in Ponda are cause for major road accidents. The cattle too get injured in the mishap and even die a painful death on the National Highway after speeding vehicles dash against them.
Besides, in absence of proper grazing ground, cattle wander in search of food at roadsides and sometimes fall sick after eating waste food dumped in polythene bags.
