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Tuesday, July 19, 2016

sad ! elderly woman dies in Triplicane after chased by cattle

A 23-year-old woman was arrested after her car rammed a motorbike, killing the rider on Cathedral Road on Sunday. Police said G Ashwin, 19, a college student from Tambaram was going on his motorbike towards the Marina to meet friends when the accident took place. R Zinda, 21, a student in London visiting her family in Nungambakkam, was at the wheel of a Hyundai Accent that rammed the bike from behind. According to data released by the ministry of road transport and highways, Tamil Nadu has recorded 15,642 fatalities on roads in 2015. The state is second to only UP where 17,666 were killed in road accidents.  In Tamil Nadu, Chennai had the highest number of fatalities with 886 people losing their lives, followed by Coimbatore with 238, and Trichy, where 156 people died in road accidents.  Statistics and more – the menace, the trouble that families of victims undergo – can never be explained in numbers or words.

Here is one more strange ! – very sad !! - much has been written about the bovine menace in the streets of Triplicane.  Stray cattle, sometimes aggressive have threatened and harmed people, especially old aged.  Children are afraid of walking alone, hurriedly cross the roads in the fear of these animals.  Representations in various forums have so far not fructified.
File photo : not the one that caused trouble ! looks fearsome though !!

In Triplicane, there may not be rabid animals  – but in small lanes and bylanes – the cows and buffalos challenge people and their formidable presence is feared – many have been hurt – the roads looks messy – more than that is the mortal fear imposed by the animal chasing people carrying bags checking on green leafs, vegetables and other eatables.  In the area nearer Gangaikondan Mandapam, nearer vegetable market – at any point of time, one can see a herd of cattle – bringing the flow of traffic on busy roads to a standstill – there have been vehicular accidents as also injuries caused by the charging animals …. Children, old as also young continue to tremble with fear when passing by.  Sad to look at the animals eating food from garbage dumps and leftovers. They are left uncared for – injected and then milked.  The other day a bull on rampage nearer NKT Girls High school made every one fear their life. 

More seriously on Sunday evening (17.7.16) – a  72-year-old woman was killed in a freak accident in Triplicane  when a cow, shooed away by a shopkeeper, rammed her.  TOI reports that Mrs S Sudamani was returning home from the Parthasarathy Temple when the cow charged at her. She fell down, sustaining severe head injury . Her daughter Alamelu Manga, who accompanied her, was also injured in the incident.

On Monday , the owner of the cow, Bhaskar, was booked under IPC section 304 (causing death due to negligence) and arrested. Manga took her mother to Government Kasturibai Gandhi Hospital. Doctors referred her to the Government General Hospital where she was declared `dead on arrival'. Sudamani's son S Narasimhan said she did not get timely medical help. “My sister took her to Government Kasturibai Gandhi Hospital at 5.30pm. The attenders did not respond immediately , and my mother was struggling on a stretcher till 5.50pm. Then doctors reached and asked her to be shifted to GH.“

Meanwhile, residents caught three cows roaming Triplicane and handed over to Blue Cross of India. The NGO took the cattle to their shelter. The death shocked the neighbourhood. “We conducted a meeting with cattle owners in the neighbourhood to prevent the animals roaming on the roads,“said Triplicane resident KV Srinivasan.

Chennai corporation with initiative by the local counsellor Mr B Srinivasan built a cattle shed for stray cattle, underneath the MRTS flyover near Kannagi Statue in Triplicane at a cost of `20 lakh.This can accommodate at least 300 bovines.  The enclosure put up beneath the MRTS track has soil floors and fixed iron rings for tethering the cows and buffaloes.  Corporation has made  arrangement for borewells ensuring water supply for the animals and for keeping the enclosure clean.   Sadly, this facility is used by some but some others still choose to leave their cattle on the roads untethered, roaming around !!
It is the people to be blamed rather than the animals .. in another move to prevent stray  cattle running on to the beach road from by-lanes causing accidents – Corporation erected rattlers [cattle grids] at some lanes leading to the Beach road.  The metal rods make humans pass and cross the slippery surface slowly, they are  narrow not to impede a wheeled vehicle  .. but cattle were up to the challenge.  After a couple of days of doubt, animals measured their walk rather easily .. !!

Sad ~ an elderly woman lost her life (some other had injuries and broken limbs) – yet cattles do roam freely.

With regards – S. Sampathkumar
19th July 2016.



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