Odisha Drafts Action Plan to Tackle Stray Cattle Menace on Roads

Bhubaneswar, Sept 18 : In a bid to enhance road safety and address the growing problem of stray cattle on highways and urban roads, the Odisha government has drafted an integrated action plan combining human and animal welfare with modern infrastructure.

A high-level meeting chaired by Commerce and Transport Department Principal Secretary Usha Padhee on Wednesday framed strategies to curb cattle-related accidents, which have emerged as a major safety hazard in the state.

According to official data, animal-vehicle collisions caused 952 accidents and 521 deaths in 2022, rising to 1,168 accidents and 643 deaths in 2023. In 2024, 903 accidents and 437 deaths were reported, while between 2022 and August 2025, 331 animals also lost their lives in such incidents.

The proposed plan adopts a mission-mode approach by linking vulnerable National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) stretches with nearby Urban Local Bodies (ULBs). It emphasizes strengthening fencing, introducing controlled cattle crossings, upgrading shelters, and expanding goshalas (cow shelters) with support from the Fisheries and Animal Resources Development (FARD) Department and NGOs.

Other measures include mapping accident-prone stretches, installing cattle grids, deploying mobile veterinary units, and running awareness campaigns to promote public participation and accountability.

Padhee underscored the urgency of the initiative, calling stray cattle not just a civic inconvenience but a life-threatening hazard.

“Odisha is committed to a coordinated, humane, and technology-driven model that integrates engineering measures such as fencing, signage, and cattle grids; enforcement through impounding and penalties; healthcare support; and institutional mechanisms to make roads safer for both people and animals,” she said.