MARGAO
Gloom descended at the Gaonkar waddo of Panzorconi-Cuncolim after a stray buffalo gored a 42-year-old man to death on Thursday morning.
The tragic incident sparked outrage amongst the local community, with locals claiming that no authority, be it the Cuncolim Municipal Council or the Animal Husbandry officials responded to their call for help and assistance to impound the stray buffalo.
The incident occurred on Thursday morning when the man, reportedly deaf and dumb, was gored to death by the buffalo when he was tendering his animals. He sustained critical injuries on his throat, resulting in his death on the way to the South Goa district hospital.
A pall of gloom descended at the Gaonkar waddo as local residents pointed out that the well-built buffalo had strayed into their locality around two months ago. Since then, they claimed the buffalo had unleashed a reign of terror in the locality with the animal going berserk, attacking the local populace. In fact, women pointed out that they have been treading a cautious path before going to their fields out of fear of being attacked by the animal.
Local resident Joseph Dias said the tragedy could have been averted if the strayed animal was impounded and taken away by the authorities. “Today a pall of gloom has descended in Panzorconi after the animal gored the youngster to death”, he said.
A local woman Vidya Gaonkar said the animal had strayed in their hamlet around two months ago. “Since the animal was found violent and aggressive, people were avoiding the way. One woman survived an attack by the animal. We do not know why the buffalo was not impounded and taken away by the authorities for the last two months”, she wondered.
Another woman Vinati Gaonkar said no one had come to the rescue of the local residents when complaints were made to the Cuncolim Municipal Council and the Animal husbandry. A visibly agitated Vinati said the authorities slap the local residents with a host of bills, but made no time to keep the animal at bay. “Are these authorities, including the Cuncolim Municipal Council only there to take care of the rich”, she demanded to know.
Meanwhile, former bureaucrat Elvis Gomes, who hails from Panzorconi, said nobody understands cattle behaviour better than the Gaonkar community in Panzorconi, “The errant behaviour of this stray buffalo reported much earlier to authorities to act did not evoke timely response. It is not the rogue buffalo but a non-responsive system that led to the goring of this young man. Though no amount of compensation would justify this negligence, yet the Government should immediately offer relief to the family”, he demanded.
