Toll Plaza Told To Make Highways Cattle-Free In Bhopal

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): To check fatal road accidents due to stray cattle menace, the public works department (PWD) asked toll plaza contractors to form patrolling teams to make highways cattle-free.

A senior officer of PWD told Free Press that toll plaza contractors will now have to form patrolling teams to clear the road from stray cattle. The team will do patrolling on the road and chase away the stray cattle. The toll plaza contractor will also have to arrange a hydraulic vehicle to lift and transport injured or dead cattle on the road. They will have to handover cattle to the Animal Husbandry department.

The PWD order has been sent to the managing director, Madhya Pradesh Development Corporation, Regional Officer of Road Transport, Regional Officer of NHAI and Chief Engineer, Nirman Bhawan (Bhopal).

The PWD has asked that a special campaign shall be conducted till September 30 and on every Monday, a report shall be sent to the government. The veterinary department has also been cautioned in this regard. 

Notably, the herd of cattle, mostly released by their owners during monsoon, can be seen roaming and squatting on the roads and highways causing serious traffic issues and mishaps. The data collected by Dial 100 of the police department says that around 15,984 cattle hit cases have been reported.

The state government on August 16 decided to launch a special 15-day campaign to check stray cattle menace. In this regard, the government had also formed a committee headed by the Additional Chief Secretary