CANACONA: More than hundred people were reportedly injured and ten died after their two-wheelers skidded off after hitting stray cattle on the National Highway-17 from Cuncolim to Canacona and Polem during the last three years, informed Santosh Gaonkar, ex-chairperson of Canacona Municipal Council.
Speaking to Herald, Gaonkar said that over 150 two-wheelers and 100 other light and heavy motor vehicles were damaged due to mishaps involving stray cattle which also resulted in the deaths of several bovines.
He said that municipalities and panchayats have complete power to impound stray cattle from roads, but these bodies have failed to discharge their duties.
According to rough estimates, over 100 cattle have died while another 150 have been injured in mishaps in Canacona taluka, in the last two years.
However, the authorities concerned have failed to control the situation, so far.
CMC Chairperson Prathana Naik Gaonkar said that the stray cattle menace along the highway from Balli to Polem has worsened since the last two three years and especially during the monsoon season, after sundown.
“The Road users are left with no option than hurt the cattle or injure themselves,” Gaonkar said.
The Karmalghat area along the National Highway which is at a distance of about five kms from Canacona police station and at a distance of about 18 kms from the Cuncolim police station has proved to be an accident-prone zone.
For the last many years, this stretch of road has become a death trap to two-wheeler riders in particular. It also endangers other vehicle riders for the simple reason that the stretch of road on either sides of Karmalghat has sharp curves, besides cattle interference.
Most accidents involving cattle occur at night given the absence of lighting along most parts of the highway and casualties are often inter-State vehicles, police added.
Given that several incidents of mishaps that have killed cattle, caused injuries to motorists and damaged vehicles, one surprisingly finds no traffic signal to warn motorists about the impending dangers of driving along the cattle infested road, said Councilor Divakar Pagui.
“This rainy season one will find at least one incident every week or in a fortnight, where cattle are killed in motor accidents at Pazarconni-Cuncolim,” informed bus driver Mahesh Velip from Gulem.
If the rider or pillion rider is not seriously injured and even if vehicles get damaged after running into a bovine, the incident is not reported to the police. Motorists merely claim insurance benefits as a self-accident, said local school teacher Prashant Desai.
He further complained that farmers hardly tie their cattle in their cowsheds and instead leave them loose on roads, endangering the lives of motorists.
