This is an archive article published on October 11, 2023
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40 cows seized in 9 days, owners slapped Rs 80,000 fine: TN’s Tambaram civic body steps up vigil against stray cattle
To retrieve their cattle from the custody of the civic body, the owners need to get approvals from the city health officer and the inspector of the police station in the jurisdiction of which they raise their cattle.
The civic body said that the owners whose cattle are being taken away will also have to pay a maintenance fee for the number of days the animals stay in the custody of the corporation.(Representational Photo)
The Tambaram Corporation in Tamil Nadu Tuesday said its officials are capturing stray cattle let loose on the streets and slapping fines on the owners. The move comes after people complained about the menace of stray cattle causing inconvenience to them, especially motorists.
The civic body said that the owners whose cattle are being taken away will also have to pay a maintenance fee for the number of days the animals stay in the custody of the corporation.
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In a statement, the Tambaram Corporation said that from October 1 to October 9, in the five zones under its jurisdiction, they have caught 40 cows let loose on the roads and imposed a fine amount of Rs 80,000 on the owners.
To retrieve their cattle from the custody of the civic body, the owners need to get approvals from the city health officer and the inspector of the police station in the jurisdiction of which they raise their cattle.
If the owners repeat the same mistake on more than two occasions, the authorities said the cattle will not be handed over to them again and instead, be sent to the Blue Cross Society of India or the Animal Welfare Board of India.
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Speaking to indianexpress.com, Dr Arul Anand, City Health Officer, Tambaram Corporation, said, “A cattle pound is being built at Madamabakkam and the construction work will be complete in one month. Around 30 cattle can be housed there. We have also identified another location near Thiruneermalai which can accommodate an additional 30 cattle. Based on the guidelines of the Animal Welfare Board of India, we are planning to have two vehicles with lift facilities to ferry the cattle captured from the streets.”
The City Health Officer added that their primary focus is to ensure that stray cattle are not present on arterial roads and the 15 other main roads.
“We have been regularly sensitising the owners not to leave their cows on the streets. Many of them depend on the cattle for their livelihood so, capturing their cattle also has certain constraints but we will take measures to reduce the inconvenience caused by stray cattle,” he added.
The civic body said that the owners whose cattle are being taken away will also have to pay a maintenance fee for the number of days the animals stay in the custody of the corporation.(Representational Photo) 
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