No end to stray cattle menace in Kangra, cow sanctuary at Nagri not yet functional

The first cow sanctuary of the state constructed at a cost of Rs 2.95 crore at Nagri, 10 km from Palampur, could not be made operational even after three years because of official bottlenecks and red tape. This cow sanctuary is spread over 50 acres comprising 12 sheds for stray animals. In the absence of proper upkeep, anti-social elements have broken the windows and doors of the sanctuary.

The Animal Husbandry Department, which is the custodian of the cow sanctuary, has not initiated steps to make the cattle home operational. Meanwhile, the number of stray cattle in the district has risen to 15,000 in the past two years. The Municipal Corporation and the local administration have turned a blind eye to the problem, making the lives of people miserable.

The stray cattle menace, meanwhile, continues to hassle the residents of Palampur and its adjoining areas. Herds of stray animals on highways as well as city roads are a common sight, posing a threat to the lives of commuters. A large number of stray animals roaming on highways and state roads have become a major accident hazard. At least six bikers have lost their lives in collisions with stray animals squatting on roads at night. “Motorists often drive at a high speed on highways and have to abruptly apply brakes when stray animals come in front of their vehicles, leading to fatal accidents,” says a commuter.

Travelling on the Pathankot-Mandi, Kangra-Chandigarh and Palampur-Dharamsala highways is no less than a nightmare, as one can see a large number of stray animals roaming or squatting in the middle of roads. leading to fatal accidents.

The state government is collecting Rs 10 per bottle as cow cess from liquor contractors with the objective to set up sanctuaries for stray cattle. Funds are at the disposal of Deputy Commissioners but precious little has been done at least in Kangra district to tackle the problem.

The Himachal Pradesh High Court has also directed the state government several times to impound the stray animals moving on highways and set up cow sanctuaries but to no avail. Kangra, being the largest district of the state, is the worst affected by stray animals moving on roads and in markets and also destroying standing crops.