Bhopal Faces Traffic Bottlenecks As Stray Cattle Take Over Roads

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Stray cattle on Bhopal roads have turned daily commutes into dangerous journeys with severe traffic disruptions. Despite being declared ‘cattle-free’ two decades ago, the city finds itself grappling with a worsening crisis.

According to Bhopal Traffic Police, every day, over 50 people are injured in cattle-related accidents, with the numbers spiking to 40 mishaps daily during the monsoon.

Rain-soaked roads coupled with poor visibility, and roaming cattle, especially cows, are proving fatal for two-wheeler riders, while the animals themselves are often injured or killed.

Subhash Nagar, Shaitan Singh Square Road, and key routes connecting Trilanga, Misrod, Chunabhatti, Chhola, and Govindpura have become hotspots for such accidents.

Despite repeated attempts and public outcry, the situation remains grim, with the ‘cattle-free Bhopal’ being a contradiction.

‘Farmers at fault’

Additional DCP (Traffic) Bashant Kaul highlights the rising risk, especially in peripheral areassurrounded by villages, where farmers often leave cattle free after milking.

Why ‘Hanka Party’ failed

In 2024, the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) formed a five-member ‘Hanka Party’ to remove cattle from roads. Operating from 8 am to 4 pm, the team was tasked with shifting animals to ‘gaushalas’ (cow shelters) outside the city. However, this effort has largely failed due to overcrowded shelters. The main Kanji House has a capacity of only 450, and the capacity of the other seven cow shelters is only 370, far short of the thousands of roaming animals.

Illegal dairies add to crisis

Compounding the crisis are the hundreds of illegal dairies operating within Bhopal. After extractingmilk, nearly 5,000 cows and buffaloes are released onto city roads, exposing residents to daily danger. The administration has so far failed to regulate these dairies or provide alternative shelters.