Traffic cell writes to CCMC to start impounding cattle

Margao: Taking cognizance of the fact that stray cattle on the road has led to many a fatal road accident, the traffic cell of the Curchorem police has written to the Curchorem Cacora Municipal Council (CCMC) and neighbouring panchayats to take immediate and effective steps to impound stray cattle found on roads in its jurisdiction.
“It has been noticed that a number of cattle rearers/owners let their cattle into the fallow fields and open areas around the town to rummage through the thick foliage which crops up along the roadside during monsoon.Similarly, a number of canines in search of food are also seen moving around on all minor and major roads within the limits of the CCMC. The presence and movement of such cattle and canines is proving to be hazardous to motorists travelling on the roads as they fail to either notice their presence during late evening hours on account of poor visibility due to rainy weather, or are unable to control their moving vehicles on account of their sudden darting on the roads,” reads the letter written by PI (traffic), Curchorem, Edwin Colaco, to the chief officer of the CCMC.
The letter notes that canines and cattle too have become a cause of serious accidents, some of which have amounted to fatalities.
Pointing out to a recent road accident at Surla, Curchorem (near Santoshi mata temple), in which a two-wheeler rider died, Colaco said that as the road had been substantially widened, the available street light has been rendered inadequate, thereby, reducing visibility on the road. “On account of his failure to notice the cattle on the road, (the motorcycle rider) collided with the cattle that strayed on the road and he sustained grievous injuries on his head,” Colaco said in the letter.
“…it is crucial to acknowledge that animals wandering on the roads become potential threats and sure cause of accidents and therefore, it is very vital that an effective approach be adopted to curb this menace at the earliest in an effort to prevent any recurrence of such accidents in future,” the letter adds, further requesting the chief officer to direct the CCMC-appointed pound-keeper “to pro-actively take effective steps to impound animals (cattle and canine included) straying on the roads in order to provide respite to motorists from encountering unwarranted presence of animals which could make them susceptible to serious road accidents.”