If you are someone who drives a vehicle on Bengaluru roads, it is not uncommon for you to encounter a stray cow, dog, or bull on the way. While this has been a problem in the city for years now, on Monday the Bengaluru Traffic Police wrote to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) about the safety issues from these obstructions.
“Abandoned animals, including cows, dogs, and other stray animals, are frequently found wandering on the streets, causing obstacles and hazards to vehicular traffic,” said M.N. Anucheth, Joint Commissioner (Traffic), Bengaluru.
He added: “These animals not only block traffic but also lead to accidents and near-miss incidents, putting the lives of commuters at risk. Our traffic personnel have reported numerous instances of vehicles slowing down or sudden stops to avoid hitting these animals, which can lead to rear-end collisions and other accidents.”
This problem is prevalent, especially in south Bengaluru areas like Basavanagudi, Banashankari, K.R. Market, according to motorists.
“In areas like Thyagarajnagar, N.R. Colony, and Sarakki Market, we can see cows and bulls roaming even on main roads. Some animals do not move even when we gently honk to get them out of the way. During night hours, if the animal is slightly dark in colour, then it becomes difficult to even spot them,” said Shruthi Krishna, a resident of Basavanagudi.
Motorists in other parts of the city also said that this is a bigger problem at night than during the day.
“I feel anxious driving on many roads, especially in areas like Yeshwantpur and M.S. Palya in the night. While these animals are at least visible from a distance during daytime, the same is not the case in the night. We are forced to abruptly apply the brakes when we suddenly see them,” said Nikhil Rajiv, a resident of Aditya Nagar, in north Bengaluru.
In his letter, Mr. Anucheth had requested the BBMP, which is the nodal agency for animal welfare and urban management, to remove the abandoned animals from the streets.
BBMP officials said they are continuously identifying animals which are obstructing the roads. “While we cannot move stray dogs due to a Supreme Court order, we catch cattle every day. Sometimes the owners come and pay a penalty and take them back. If no one claims them, then we send them to our goshale (cattle shelter) in Mahadevapura,” said Ravikumar, Joint Director Animal Husbandry, BBMP.
But the problem is that the BBMP only has one cattle pound to collect these animals. “With this, we can only catch 10 cows in a day. Under Brand Bengaluru, we have asked for eight pounds (one for each zone) so that we make the process more efficient,” he said.
