NAGAPATTINAM: Residents have demanded action against cattle owners after a man, dashed by a stray bovine, was run over by a government bus here on Sunday. The victim, 55-year-old R Sabarirajan of Melakottaivasal, was dashed by a stray bovine roaming in the area.
Due to the impact, he fell on the road and came under the wheels of a Tiruvarur-Nagapattinam bus. N Chandirasekaran, a local activist said, "Most bovine owners release their cattle to reduce effort in farming the animals.
Only if the district administration and municipality take strong unprecedented action, the stray bovine nuisance will end." Bovines, released by their owners for grazing, are found at places such as Public Office Road, Melakottaivasal, New Bus Stand, Old Bus Stand, railway station, collectorate and General Hospital Road, causing disturbance to commuters.
The municipality is conducting drives to seize the bovines roaming in public and take them to their offices. The animals are released after issuing a warning to the owners. However, the bovine owners continue releasing their cattle, to residents' ire. Municipality commissioner P Thirumalselvam told TNIE, "We are issuing notices to animal owners in town, warning them of a penalty of up to `10,000 for releasing their animals outside. If violation is found, we will seize the animals again and auction them without hesitation."