Hike in fine doesn’t stop owners from leaving cattle in open, complain Villivakkam residents

Residents allege that the stray cattle menace is ubiquitous in the area, and the authorities have failed to take action against the cattle owners responsible for this.

Be it the busy bus stand or the Market Road, the cattle menace is a problem faced all across the neighbourhood, alleged residents. Even the recent decision to increase the fine to Rs 10,000 has had very little impact, they added. AV Surendran, chairman of Welfare Association Rajaji Nagar and a resident, said, “The worst affected are the senior citizens, women and children. 

The cattle can be seen ambling down the streets and when they are chased away by vegetable and fruit vendors, they run helter-skelter causing a lot of panic. There have been day-to-day cases of the trysts with cattle, resulting in accidents and injuries.” 

He added that the residents have asked the civic body to take strict action against the cattle owners. 

“We can see them rounding up the cattle during the night. But the next morning, they are back on the streets. 

The animals urinate or drop dung in open spaces, causing a lot of hygiene concern as well,” he added. MR Krishnan, a resident of Rajaji Nagar and the president of the area’s residents’ welfare association, charged that there was a tacit understanding between cattle owners and the officials. 

He added, “There has been no solution to this issue, though we have been taking it up with the Corporation for several years now. The cattle owners are undeterred by any threats of lodging complaints.” 

A source from the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) said that there have been repeated campaigns conducted by the Corporation and the organization to sensitise cattle owners about the importance of taking care of the animals. 

“We give them a warning the first time and the next time we impose a fine. However, if we impound the cattle, the owners don’t turn up sometimes, and the animal is abandoned. We get a lot of updates about stray cattle in areas across the city from the police, too. 

We are trying to make the owners understand that they have to be responsible for the movement of their cattle,” said the source.