Stray cattle menace brings traffic to a halt

Ever since the Vellore Corporation workers were roped in for dengue prevention activities, the streets of Netaji Market, Long Bazaar and Vellore Old Bus Stand areas have become infested with stray cattle.

Motorists using the arterial Arcot Road and Anna Salai were forced to negotiate the stretches with these animals forming a cluster on the roads reducing the carriageway.

The Corporation officials said that owing to shortage of workers, most of them having been assigned to duties of carrying out the anti-dengue drive, measures against the cattle could not be taken. The officials added that it would commence its drive against stray cattle once the workers were relieved of their duties from the anti-dengue campaigns.

Apart from damaging the vegetables in the shops, these animals even tend to attack pedestrians and commuters causing physical harm. A 70-year-old vegetable vendor, Thiyagarajan, was attacked by two cows a fortnight ago near the old bus stand leading to injuries to his spine.

The President of the Vellore Town Netaji Market Vegetable Traders Association, A Balu, said, “The number of cattle doubles in the evening and these animals wait till late night at the market and damage vegetables.”

Twice a year, the Corporation conducted drives against stray cattle impounding the animals in the ‘Goshala’ behind Vellore Fort. The owners would have to pay a fine of Rs 500 per cow, apart from the maintenance costs, to claim the animals.