Palampur: No rehab centres set up for stray animals

Ravinder Sood

Palampur, November 17

Despite claims made by the state government for the rehabilitation of stray animals, nothing worthwhile has been done to date. Scores of stray animals continue to roam the roads, posing a threat to commuters.

The number of road accidents in the past few months involving stray animals has gone up. Nothing has been done to follow the orders of the High Court regarding the setting up of cattle sheds.

Two lives lost

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• A 60-year-old daily wage worker was killed when a stray bull hit him near Nehru Chowk In June
• Earlier, an 80-year-old woman, Kesari Devi of Rajpur in Ward number 11 of the city, was killed when a stray bull hit her.

Various voluntary organisations and social bodies had urged the HC on Monday to direct the state government and the civic agencies to check the stray animal menace. They say that the state government is collecting Re 1 per bottle from liquor contractors to set up a shed for stray cattle, but no one knows where the money is being utilised.

The Municipal Corporation and the Animal Husbandry Department have failed to curb the stray animal menace due to the lack of resources and funds for the purpose.

The situation in the Ghuggar and Lohana Aima villages is even worse. Herds of stray cattle gather near Kalibari Temple and SSB Chowk, posing a threat to commuters.

In June this year, a 60-year-old daily wage worker, Udho Ram, was killed when a stray bull hit him twice near Nehru Chowk. He was taken to the TMC in a critical condition, where he succumbed to his injuries.

Earlier, an 80-year-old woman, Kesari Devi of Rajpur in Ward number 11 of the city, was killed when a stray bull hit her. The deceased was attacked by the bull when she was on her way to a shop at Rajpur Chowk.