BENGALURU: The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is all set to clear the city roads of cattle, which cause trouble to commuters. The Palike, which had procured two additional vehicles last year to carry out a full-scale drive on fixing the cattle issue, will have the vehicles on ground by April this year.
The BBMP pointed out that they had started the cattle removal drive in April, 2019, but the drive came into effect only in November. However, despite of BBMP having procured the additional vehicles, they did not use it due to the lack of hydraulic shift system, which helps the cattle enter the vehicle easily. BBMP Joint Director, Animal Husbandary, Shashikumar confirmed that the vehicles have been sent for installing the hydraulic shift system. “Once the system is installed, we will have it on road by one month from now.” he said.
Shashikumar said that so far they were unable to clear the roads because there was only one vehicle. “But now with three vehicles, we are hoping to clear every road of the city. One vehicle, which has the capacity to carry at least three cattle, can be operated by a catcher and a driver. We can accommodate many cattle in one vehicle. With the use of three vehicles, we can take care of more roads,” he added.
A BBMP official revealed that most of the complaints they receive regarding cattle issues are from the City Market, KR Market, Sultanpete, Banashankari, Cottonpet, Kanakapura road area.
Between April 2019 and March 2020, BBMP has cleared 31,820 cattle and collected fines worth Rs 1,15,000. The fine for a big cattle is Rs 600 while for a calf, it is Rs 300.
Shashikumar said, “The owners just leave their cattle on the roads, and once they come searching, we get them to the BBMP Cattle pound at Chamrajpet and we fine or warn them against cattle abandonment. The cattle whose owners are not found are sent to goshalas.”