Team Herald
PONDA: Despite being the cause of several fatal accidents on the National Highway stretch from Khandepar-Usgao to Dharbandora-Mollem over the past few months, stray cattle continue to be a menace to road users in the area. According to locals, at least 150 stray cattle occupy the NH at various places over a 30 km-stretch, and also take over the internal roads.
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Last week, 20-year-old Prakash Salunke was killed after he crashed his two-wheeler into a buffalo on the road at Metawada, Dharbandora. Many motorists have sustained injuries when they swerve to avoid cows and buffaloes that live and sleep on the highway.
It is not a great outcome for the cattle either, as they often fall victim to heavy vehicles. Recently, four stray bovines had died after being hit by a truck on Curti NH.
Sandeep Parkar, an environmentalist and social activist from Ponda said that the presence of stray cattle on the roads is life-threatening, and the cattle remain undeterred by vehicles speeding by and refuse to move off the roads despite cars honking at them. “While the courts have put the onus on municipalities and panchayats to impound these animals, many local bodies have failed to implement the order,” he lamented.
