Stray animals disrupt traffic

By Our Correspondent,Nepalgunj, Nov. 19: Commuting along Nepalgunj, a major city of western Nepal, has been difficult because of stray animals blocking the roads. 

Domestic animals, like horse, mule, and cow, are seen roaming on the roads after they have been left stranded by their owners.

Locals have argued that Nepalgunj Sub-Metropolitan City has not taken any effective measure to solve the problem, which has been causing inconveniences to vehicles as well as pedestrians for several years.

Herds of stray animals can be sighted in Nepalgunj’s major intersections including Tribhuvan Chowk, Dhambojhi Chowk, BP Chowk, Pushpalal Chowk and Ganeshman Chowk, alongside Surkhet Road and Sadar Line.

“The animals have increased the risk of accidents, and often obstruct the vehicular movement on the roads,” said Shabbir Siddiqui, a local businessman.

Siddiqui stressed that the locals want the local level to penalise individuals who unleash their domesticated animals on the streets after using them to the fullest.

“Since there has been no strict action against the people who leave the animals on the streets, the trend has been increasing. The stray animals not only increase the risk of accidents but also litter the city,” said Krishna Prasad Shrestha, coordinator of Citizen Concern Forum, Banke. 

Ramesh Gupta, a businessman in Triveni Chowk, said that the stray animals excreted in front of the shops and houses daily.

There is an animal shelter for stray animal management in Nepalgunj, but it has not been brought under use. 

“We have been managing stray animals. However, someone else leaves their animals on the streets again. We are planning for a long-term solution. We are aware of the problem,” said Kamaruddin Rai, deputy mayor of Nepalgunj.