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Biker killed while trying to avert collision with bull in Panchkula
23-year-old was on his way from Manimajra to his house in Ramgarh in Panchkula at around 11pm. He lost his balance when a bull suddenly jumped in front of his motorcycle from the other side of the road
The government’s failure to control stray cattle resulted in another tragedy on Saturday night when a 23-year-old died after a fall when a bull came in front of his motorcycle near Ojas Hospital in Sector 26.
A slew of measures planned by the MC to rid the city came too late for Muhammad Shahbaz Khan. On his way from Manimajra to his house in Ramgarh in Panchkula at around 11pm, he lost his balance when a bull suddenly jumped in front of his motorcycle from the other side of the road.
His helmet unfastened as he lost his balance and fell, sustaining head injuries. Taken to Ojas Hospital first, he was later referred to the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research where he died. Khan, who worked in a private company in NAC, Manimajra, is survived by his father, Muhammad Faizan Khan, mother Qumar Jahan and two sisters, one aged 25 and the other 19. The family had moved to Ramgarh from Sector 15 around six months back. Khan’s body was handed over to the family after a post-mortem examination on Sunday.
Such tragedies will continue to happen because of the municipal and administrative officials’ apathy. After missing three deadlines to rid the city of stray cattle since August 2018, they are now planning to set up temporary fences with sheds for the bovines at three different places in the city.
The stray animals will be housed there till work on a cow shelter is completed at Sukhdarshanpur village near Barwala. Being build on a four-acre plot it will accommodate 1,000 animals. As a stopgap measure the MC will also start a temporary shed in the Industrial Area, Phase 1, from Tuesday, said MC commissioner Sumedha Kataria. “We are also in process of starting two temporary sheds near Ghaggar in another 10 to 15 days,” she added. One such shed will accommodate around 100 to 125 animals.
The problem is not just limited to strays. Cattle owners also release the animals in the open for grazing. “In a couple of days we will be notifying fines for such people, who will pay ₹1,100 for the first violation, ₹5,000 for second violation and ₹11,000 for the third violation.” Kataria also said the MC will be restarting the practice of using reflector collars on stray cattle for people to spot them easily at night.
