Tiruchi Corporation to increase fine on owners who let cattle roam the streets

The civic body also proposes to auction the cattle two weeks after impounding them; plans are on to raise the penalty on repeat offenders to ₹20,000 and ₹300 a day towards the cost of fodder

Seeking to crackdown on those letting out stray cattle on city roads, the Tiruchi Corporation has planned to increase penalties for repeat offenders and auction impounded animals within two weeks.

The cattle impounding drive is being carried out across the city, including residential colonies, focusing on major roads and market areas to avert traffic bottlenecks. At present, there are three teams to impound stray cattle from roads and shift them to safe shelters at Konakkarai and East Boulevard Road, which can accommodate about 70 to 100 animals.

While one team catches stray cattle in Zones I, II and III, another carries out the drive in Zones IV and V. The third team undertakes special enforcement during the night between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. Sub-teams are appointed at night to impound the cattle.

Each agency has been allocated a special vehicle fitted with a hydraulic lift and foldable ramp for impounding and safely shifting stray cattle to the shelter. On an average, nearly 12 animals are seized every day.

Despite its efforts, the civic body has been facing challenges in tackling the menace. Stray cattle continue to wander on city roads, obstructing vehicular traffic and posing danger to road users.

As a solution to this, the civic body has planned to fix a penalty of ₹20,000 for repeat offenders and also fine of ₹300 a day as an additional charge for fodder. At present, cattle owners were being fined ₹5,000 for cows and horses and ₹2,500 for calf.

Since the Corporation takes care of the cattle, the owners choose not to pay the fine to retrieve their cattle, leaving the civic body with the burden of maintaining the animals. To tackle the issue, the civic body has planned to auction the cattle within two weeks of impounding.

“There are many animals that remain unclaimed for more than 15 days. We will fix a particular day for auctioning, even if there are a few of them, ” said M. Vijay Chandran, City Health Officer.

Plans are on to issue licences for cattle in the city. Owners have to apply for a licence from the Corporation. Major areas in the city would be made non-rearing zones for cattle to ensure the safety of the public, Dr. Chandran added.

A cattle numbering system has been initiated to avert any issues in exchange for cattle while releasing them.

Published - November 28, 2024 08:31 pm IST