Ujjain : Stray cattle are causing serious problems for commuters on city roads and city parts of highways. Various city roads are witnessing the numerous minor accidents involving stray cattle’s.
The increasing number of accidents involving stray cattle has left the commuters worried around the area. Shailendra Sharma, who has been regularly commuting between Mahananda Nagar and Madhavnagar for the past 20 years, observed the stray cattle menace had increased in the area in the past moths, especially as rains have started. Commuters are at greater risk during the night than daytime. Owing to low visibility at night, commuters fail to spot cattle from a distance. There have been many fatal accidents during the night. The residents of Madhav Nagar, Dewas Road, Freeganj, Teen Batti and its surrounding areas blamed the dumping of garbage by the street vendors and shop owners located in the vicinity for the rising number of accidents involving stray cattle on this stretch.
Most cattle feed on the leftover dumped by the shop owners on the roadside. The authorities concerned have not taken any step to tackle the menace. It is good that the animals feed on the leftover but something should be done to prevent them from posing a risk to commuters, said Vishal Biswas, a resident of Kshpanak Marg. Youngsters studying in various educational institutes in the area also expressed concern over the stray cattle menace. Harshita Sharma, a BE student at UECU, said drivers spotted cattle at the last minute and took a sharp turn to avoid collision. Some lose control over their vehicles and rammed into trees while others collide with bikes and cyclists.