Residents suffer as stray cattle abandoned in village

Sumeer Singh

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, July 18

Residents of Kothe Kame Ke village and Kheta Singh Basti are a harried lot as hundreds of stray cattle have been abandoned near a residential area in Kothe Kame Ke village.

Besides a posing risk to commuters, it has become a daily ordeal for the residents as they have to pass by heaps of cattle dung. City residents are also affected by the menace as the authorities have also failed to find a solution to the problem.

The villagers rued that people from nearby areas had abandoned stray cattle in their area at night. They said earlier, there were only a few stray cattle, but for the past three months, the situation had worsened.

Lachman Singh, a villager, said, “The problem of stray cattle is on the rise with each passing day as there is no check by the authorities. Driving at night has become really tough as clusters of stray cattle come on roads, posing a risk to the lives of commuters.”

“Heaps of cattle dung near a residential area has become a cause of concern for villagers. A foul smell emanates throughout the day. Commuters and pedestrians find it difficult to pass by the road where stray cattle have gathered. After rain, the situation becomes even worse when water with filth accumulates on the surface.”

Amrik Singh, another resident, said, “As the number of stray cattle has increased in the area, stray dogs have started killing and feasting on calves of cows.”

In the past few days, road mishaps have been reported due to stray cattle from the city. A number of people have even lost their lives in road accidents, but the MC has failed to come up with a comprehensive plan to deal with the menace.

Scarcity of space in cow sheds and tendency of people to abandon cattle in the city are the reasons behind the problem.

Tarsem Goyal, Senior Deputy Mayor, said, “For now, the MC is busy streamlining water stagnation during the rainy season. We are accommodating stay cattle as much as possible. The district administration needs to play an active role by reaching out to villagers and sensitise them to the issue. The administration should them to make arrangements on their own at the village level so that they do not leave their cattle in the city.”