During rains, Mapusa bus-stand sought after shelter by cattle

With the first rains, a large herd of stray cattle swamped into the shelter of the Mapusa bus-stand creating problems for passengers.

MAPUSA

With the first rains, stray cattle have returned with a vengeance and have begun taking refuge in the bus shelter at the Mapusa bus-stand not only inconveniencing the passengers but creating a mess inside the shelter.

The stray cattle menace is more prominent during the monsoons when the owners leave their cattle for grazing in the open.

Stray cattle sitting in the middle of the roads are one of the common sights that pedestrians and commuters come across in the monsoon season.

But a large herd of stray cattle inside the shelter of the Mapusa bus-stand was a very unusual site.

Several passengers expressed their disgust with the presence and movement of so many stray cattle in the bus shelter which was meant for passengers.

“It was shocking to see the stray cattle inside the shed of the bus-stand in Mapusa which is a developed and popular town in North Goa. Besides locals, there are so many tourists who visit here. These stray cattle not only create problems for us passengers but also messes the place, by leaving trails of dung,” said Yeshwant Naik, a resident of Pirna, who was waiting for his bus at the bus-stand.

Incidentally, after the Mapusa Municipal Council had signed a pact with the Sirsi Gaushala, not many stray cattle can be seen on the streets but the presence of the cattle inside the shelter of the bus-stand caught many by surprise.

“This is not a good sign for a touristic state of Goa. The authorities should do something and act quickly to stop this nuisance,” said another commuter.

GOACAN has dashed a letter to the Deputy Collector and SDO of Mapusa pointing out to the presence of the stray cattle and inconvenience created by them to the KTCL buses arriving at the bus stand and the passengers waiting to board the same.

“While we are aware that these stray cattle also need to be shifted to a safe place, this process needs to be initiated by working out a joint action plan for the same. We therefore request your office to call for a joint meeting to find a permanent solution to this problem with representatives from KTCL, Directorate of Transport, Traffic Police, Mapusa Municipal Council, Department of Consumer Affairs and the Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services,” said Roland Martins, Co-ordinator of GOACAN.