VRISHANK MAHATME
The stray cattle menace seems to be upsetting the silky flow of traffic in the village of Taleigao. It has become a big threat not only for pedestrians to walk but also for the commuters either in cars or public transport.
Not only do these stray cattle pose danger to the lives of commuters, they are also a major curb in a smooth flow of traffic. Many a time, stray cattle can be seen sitting on the dividers and in the middle of roads, leading to traffic jams.
When Herald spoke to some of the residents of Taleigao, it was revealed, that the problem of stray cattle, has tremendously created a problem on the narrow internal roads of Shankarwadi in Taleigao. They also mentioned that the situation is dangerous mainly during the night time, as animals sitting in the middle of the road are hardly visible and pose a serious risk to commuters.
“Due to the cattle menace in Shankarwadi, a number of critical accidents can take place as stray cattle abruptly come in the middle of the road, causing a threat to the drivers and commuters,” says Abhishek Toraskar.
According to the court orders, the stray cattle have to be held by the village Panchayat or Municipalities and kept in cow sheds, which have been built on court directions.
Another local resident had to say this, “the village Panchayat of Taleigao has failed to provide any permanent solution to get rid of the stray cattle. Because of this, stray cattle can now also be seen in the main market area of Taleigao, causing major problems to the commuters.”
It was also revealed that a majority of the local residents of Taleigao strongly feel that village panchayat should come out with a solution, to stop spreading this major menace, which causes serious problems for everyone.
“Cows, especially at night, are a menace when they cannot be seen sometimes under street lights, they pose danger to themselves and vehicles mostly at corners and blind spots during sharp turns,” says Adarsh Shettigar from Taleigao.
“In other cities or villages stray cattle menace has become very serious and due to this many lives have been either lost or people have been injured in the accidents caused by stray cattle, especially during the night time and the same should not be repeated here in Taleigao,” says Anirudha Bhaje.
The worst affected areas where the stray cattle have caused problems include Shankarwadi and Taleigao village market, where these cows are found roaming very freely, thus blocking the smooth flow of traffic and creating problems for pedestrians.
“The stray cattle issue has existing for a long time, they pose a huge threat to human life and the panchayat should work along with the owners to have the right facility, within the village permits to take care of them,” said Kamraj Raikar.
“The Village Panchayat of Taleigao has already proposed a cattle pond, and in the coming one or two months the stray cattle will be seized and put in the cattle pond,” said Janu M. Rosario, Sarpanch of Taleigao Village Panchayat.
