By TIOL News Servic

NEW DELHI, DEC 26, 2024: IN a step to enhance road safety and address the challenge of stray cattle and to avoid animal-related accidents on the National Highways, NHAI has taken a pilot project to provide Cattle Shelters along the National Highways. This initiative aims to create a safer travel experience for commuters while ensuring care and management of stray cattle and animals found along the National Highways.

With shelter areas ranging from 0.21 to 2.29 hectares, shelters under the pilot project will be strategically located to serve as safe spaces for stray cattle, reducing their presence on National Highways. The initiative will be implemented on various National Highway stretches, including the UP/Haryana Border to Rohna section of NH-334B, where shelters will be set up along the Kharkhoda Bypass. Similarly, shelters will be constructed along Bhiwani - Hansi section of NH-148B at Hansi Bypass, Kiratpur – Ner Chowk section of NH-21 and the Dangiyawas to Jajiwal section of the Jodhpur Ring Road on NH-112.

To implement this initiative, NHAI signed an MoU with the existing concessionaire M/s Gawar Construction Ltd.  Under the contract, M/s Gawar Construction Ltd., will build Cattle-Shelters on land provided by NHAI. The concessionaire will also maintain these shelters by providing first aid, adequate fodder, water, and caretakers throughout the concession period, ensuring the well-being of the animals.

To further support this initiative, the concessionaire under its CSR initiative will deploy cattle ambulances to transport and treat injured stray animals, setup first-aid centres and hospitals to cater 50 km on each side for timely medical care of these animals.  Beyond the construction and maintenance of shelters, the concessionaire will ensure safe transportation of stray cattle to these facilities, provide feed and enforce the provisions of the Cattle Trespass Act, 1871. The MoU will remain in effect for the balance period of the concessionaire.

Commenting on the initiative, NHAI Chairman Santosh Kumar Yadav said "By addressing the challenges posed by stray cattle/animals on the National Highways, this unique initiative is another step that furthers NHAI's commitment to not only to create safer National Highways for commuters by enhancing road safety but also fulfils a humane requirement of taking care of stray cattle/animals. I am sure that this initiative will set a new benchmark for a holistic National Highway infrastructure development in the country."

Sharing his thoughts, Dinesh Chandra Agrawal, President -- National Highway Builders Federation said "We welcome this step from NHAI to develop shelters for stray cattle/animals along the National Highways and offer our support for this initiative. I would urge our members to come forward and partner in this path-breaking initiative that will help spread this noble cause of rehabilitating stay animals and enhancing road safety."

Speaking on the occasion, Ravinder Gawar, Director -- Gawar Construction Ltd., said, "We are pleased to partner with NHAI for this unique opportunity to establish shelters for the stray cattle along the National Highways. We are open to extend this initiative on all our NH projects and even projects awarded to other concessionaires to set up more such shelters in various regions across the country."

NHAI has been facing challenges posed by stray cattle/animal movement on National Highway in several states across the country which is hazardous to road users' safety. Although several steps for removal of cattle from the National Highways were taken in the past but they could not get anticipated success due to several ancillary issues having social and sensitive angles, which included problems pertaining to unknown ownership/ transportation of cattle/ healthcare/ first aid treatment during transportation of any injured animals, feeding the cattle till identification of owner or handing them over to the State Government agencies. Several Courts in various states were also very keen in holistic resolution of the challenges posed by movement of stray cattle on National Highways. Although, control for the root cause of this issue lies in the purview of various departments of respective State Governments, NHAI has taken this initiative to address the issue within its jurisdiction.