Multi-prong mechanism is needed to tackle this menace in the state
Seven persons have lost their lives in road accidents due to stray cattle menace on the roads in the last two and half years. Altogether 1,302 accidents took place because of cattle squatting on the roads including highways. In the first six months of this year itself, 271 road accidents occurred due to stray cattle in which one person lost his life. Cattle have also died in road accidents.
The issue of stray cattle menace was raised in the just-concluded monsoon session of the Goa assembly by several MLAs. During the Zero Hour, Bicholim MLA Dr Chandrakant Shetye and Velim MLA Cruz Silva voiced serious concern over the growing threat posed by stray cattle on the state’s roads, particularly during night-time hours when reduced visibility heightens the risk of accidents. Stating that there is poor implementation of the Goa Stray Cattle Management Scheme, they urged the government to act swiftly by imposing strict penalties on negligent cattle owners, supporting local gaushalas and encouraging active participation from village panchayats, municipalities and the community. They also pointed out that the cattle let loose by their owners also damage farmlands causing losses to farmers.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said the government is seized of the matter and has been trying to get support from panchayats and municipalities to tackle the issue. The civic bodies need to sign MoUs with gaushalas so that the stray cattle can be taken care of. At present, six animal collection centres currently exist in the state to impound and shelter stray cattle. The government is in the process of identifying a common facility in South Goa as a cattle home. Sawant urged the MLAs to play a pro-active role and get the panchayats and municipal councils in their respective constituencies to sign MoUs with gaushalas. Some panchayats like the Calangute village panchayat have been making efforts to stop the menace. Unless and until the civic bodies do not cooperate the stray cattle menace will continue. In the past, a mechanism to impose fines on the errant owners of cattle didn’t work. There was a suggestion for micro-chipping the stray cattle with GPS tracking. The government spends a lot of money to curb the menace of stray cattle. Gaushalas are funded by the government for impounding and taking care of the cattle. As per the official figures, more than 1,300 cattle heads were caught and sent to the cattle shelters during the 2024-25 financial year. In the past, some cattle impounded from the road had died.
Yesterday, Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho, who chaired the State Road Safety Council meeting, announced measures to tackle Goa’s road accident statistics, including the installation of AI-based traffic signals at 91 junctions across the state and new road signage systems. This is a positive development and the government has to make use of technology. The government could look at technology to track the movement of the stray cattle so that action is taken once they occupy the roads. There should be awareness about the helpline numbers so that the citizens can report sightings of stray cattle. Incentivising panchayats and municipal bodies for signing up with gaushalas will surely help. Support of NGOs and activists could also be solicited to end the menace. If it is made a priority area, success will not be too far. There needs to be a multi-prong mechanism to effectively reduce accidents caused due to stray cattle.
