Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) Wednesday urged the state government to take urgent measures to tackle the rising menace of stray cattle on roads, which has caused frequent accidents and loss of lives.
Acting on a petition filed August 5 by Aama Janata Adhikar, represented by convener Basudev Bhatta, coordinator Prasanna Bishoyi, and Ashok Paikaray, the OHRC has issued notices to the state government, as well as the secretaries of the Home, Housing & Urban Development, and Works departments. The authorities have been directed to submit a status report by September 14 ahead of the next hearing. A three-member bench, comprising Justice CR Mohapatra, AA Dash, and Chairperson Justice S Pujahari, issued the directive, noting that stray cattle on roads and bullfights have become a serious cause of road accidents in Odisha.
Every day, both humans and cattle fall victim to accidents caused by animals suddenly appearing on roads or engaging in fights, especially on highways and in urban areas.