Act against people abandoning cattle, NGO urges govt

Nurpur, February 10

The Samparpan Association, an NGO that works in Kangra and Chamba, has called for action to save precious human lives becoming victims to fatal road accidents with stray and abandoned cattle on major roads of the district, and national highways across the state.

Anita Sharma, the chairperson of the association, appealed to the state government to tag stray cattle with radium reflector belts so that they could be spotted by drivers at night. She said stray and abandoned animals on the highways have become a major cause of road mishaps in Kangra and Chamba districts, especially accidents involving two-wheeler riders.

“The tagging of radium reflector belts can reduce the threat of road mishaps in the night. These belts can be procured from disaster management funds as road mishaps occurring due to the stray animals are no less than a disaster,” she said.

She demanded that the authorities concerned should identify habitual offenders who abandon unproductive animals, advocating for strict action against them.

The previous state government, through the Veterinary Department, had tagged domestic animals with identification serial numbers so that owners could be identified and penalised if the animal was abandoned, Sharma said.

“Despite being tagged with identification numbers, animals can nowadays be seen abandoned. No action is being taken against their owners, encouraging others to abandon their cattle with impunity,” she said, adding that the Animal Husbandry Department, in coordination with other government agencies, should identify and take actions against the offenders.