Abandoned stray cattle in Noida: a threat to road safety

Noida: A few months ago, Brajesh, a resident of 7x Sector was on his way back home late in the night. Suddenly, a Nilgai appeared in front of his car, then jumped to the other side, and went to a vacant plot of Sports city, Sector 79, Noida.

“Nilgai runs very fast. It can collide with you or your car, which can be very dangerous. It has happened to me 2-3 times and I know it very well. These cows, bullocks, and other stray animals walk freely on  Vishwakarma road. They always loiter near the road as people feed them on the road."

A pair of confused and panicking Neelgai, seen in the urban setting of Dwarka.
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The problem of stray cattle is not new for commuters in Noida. Commuters are often startled by an animal running amock on roads. This is not only dangerous for the animals but can also cause major road accidents.

Amit Gupta, a resident of Prateek Wisteria shared news about a lady from his society who suffered an accident on December 24, 2021, when a buffalo suddenly came right in front of her car. She was forced to apply brakes suddenly. This caused damage to her car as well as the car behind her.

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Noida is a developing city with several ongoing projects. It is possible that the stray cattle that roam around might be finding it difficult to find their way back home as their tracks have been covered by these big development projects. Some residents share that the Authority releases news about shelters for stray cattle but on the ground, the reality is different.

Anoop Kumar Soni, a resident of Gaur City, says, “ In one of the incidents I was lucky and able to control my car on the expressway, where a bull came near my car in the middle of the highway.  We have seen cattle fall in big open drains so it's a problem for them as well. It's very important that we find some solution as it can be a life threat for both men and animals. We need to think what better can be done for these cattle and how can we control them?"

Swati Agarwal, a resident of Noida, says, “I often see a giant size bull obstructing the traffic making it an accident-prone zone. I don't know who owns these animals and why they are left abandoned on the roads. We must check with the Noida Authority about the rules and punishment on leaving the animals anywhere and thus risking the lives of both people and the animals. The Noida Authority should start a drive to educate people in the neighbouring villages of Noida and make strict rules to stop them from letting their animals roam freely on roads”.

Sanwarjeet Singh, a resident of Gaur Sportswood, says, “ The stray cattle problem in Noida not only persists on roads but also harms the Green belt and dust-free zones. The stray cattle eat plants which hamper the growth of young plants. Arrangements should be made for proper shelters and heavy fines should be imposed on owners of cattle for abandoning them.”