Madurai corpn hires cow catchers

Madurai: Madurai corporation has hired a private team of bull catchers from Alanganallur on contract to catch and impound stray cattle which have been posing a major problem for pedestrians and commuters alike at public places.Stray cattle can be found grazing in public parks and blocking pavements as well as roads, creating traffic and safety hazard, especially for two-wheelers. In K K Nagar, K Pudur, South Marret Street, Balarengapuram, Gatelock Road, North Marret Street, and many other areas, stray cattle graze on roadsides, often blocking traffic as motorists attempt to navigate around them. "Sometimes they move directly towards us, causing us to fall or bump into other vehicles while trying to avoid them," said John, a KK Nagar resident.
The 14-man team is being tasked with catching stray cows in all 100 wards. In the past 30 days, the team, led by G Arunpandian, managed to catch 47 of them. A senior corporation official claimed that stray cattle issue reduced by 50% since 2024. "We are coming down strictly on stray cattle roaming the streets with on-the-spot fines of Rs 3,000 and Rs 5,000 if the cow is impounded," he said, adding that the cow-catching team is paid Rs 2,000 per cow caught."The impounded cows are sent to shelters in Tenkasi and Chennai for now," the official said. "A shelter which is nearing completion in Bethaniyapuram will avoid the trip and keep the cows within corporation limits," he added, saying that once complete, it will be able to hold 50 stray cattle at a time.