NT NETWORK
CHINCHINIM
The Chinchinim village panchayat finds itself in a ‘spot’ with Cuncolim police dashing off a letter to panchayats along the highways to ensure that stray cattle do not enter the highways as they have led to many accidents.
A source in the Cuncolim police station, confirming the development, said that the panchayats and Cuncolim Municipal Council (CMC) have been asked to put a system in place to ensure that there are no stray cattle on highways during the night as they lead to accidents.
The official informed that the cattle on the road pose a threat to motorists especially during the monsoon as the visibility is poor and while the police have been doing their job of chasing the cattle away, the herd returns after some time.
“There has to be a long-term solution to the stray cattle menace and it is the local bodies that have to ensure it,” the official said.
However, Chinchinim village panchayat finds the going tough due to paucity of land to develop a cattle pound. Sarpanch Flory Pereira, speaking to this daily, said, “We have received a letter from the police with regards to stray cattle however the panchayat is facing shortage of land and manpower.”
She said that while the panchayat will initiate steps, it will require the support from the government to tackle the issue and will be writing to the animal husbandry department to take the cattle to their shelter.
With paucity of land being the biggest problem in Salcete villages, three villages of Assolna, Velim and Ambelim could set precedence of working collectively to solve the stray cattle issue as they are mooting a common cattle pound. Assolna sarpanch Xavier Almeida said that garbage and cattle menace are the biggest issues faced by the panchayat and cattle on the roads remain a major issue in the village, however, “We do not have sufficient land to set up a cattle pound.”
Velim sarpanch Savio D’Silva said that the panchayat too is facing a lot of problems due to cattle squatting on the road as there have been several accidents. The idea of a common cattle pound has emerged and “we will try to work together and solve the issue collectively,” he added.