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Chennai civic body hikes fine on owners over stray cattle
Chennai Corporation doubles fine for cattle loitering to ₹10,000, with repeat offences up to ₹15,000. Digital surveillance planned to curb stray cattle menace.
The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) on Tuesday increased the fine for owners who let their cattle loiter from ₹5,000 to ₹10,000. The fine for repeated offences has been increased from ₹10,000 to ₹15,000.
A resolution on the matter was passed during the council meeting at the Ripon buildings chaired by Chennai mayor R Priya. The penalty has increased for the second consecutive year after the first-time fine on cattle owners was increased from ₹2,000 to ₹5,000 in 2023.
“This is because of the increasing complaints against stray cows and buffaloes despite action being taken against the owners,” said a senior civic official on condition of anonymity.
Last month, the civic body had decided to bring cattle under digital surveillance by using radio-frequency identification (RFID) under which if a stray cattle is traced for the third time, it can be impounded. Karnataka has deployed a similar system using RFID.
The menace of stray dogs and loitering cows have been a huge menace in the city’s residential localities as well as arterial roads. Last year, at least a dozen people were attacked by cattle on the streets and several accidents were reported.
An 80-year old man was killed last year in Chennai’s Triplicane after which the owner was booked by the city police while the corporation levied a fine of ₹5,000 on him and five cattle were seized.
The city has about 20,000 cattle, a civic official said, adding that more than 3,000 cattle were seized last year and kept at two pounds in Chennai.
“We are also coordinating with the city police for surveillance and action,” the second official said. Officials have also found cases of cattle owners rearing more cows and buffaloes in a given space than what licences allow them to.
