Gurgaon
Information about Gurgaon city and places around Gurgaon India and NCR.

Gurgaon, the most modern and upcoming city of NCR definitely boasts of beautiful and tall structures. A bunch of commercial and residential buildings bedeck the landscape of Gurgaon rendering a world class look to the city. But along with these beautiful structures, the city roads are also frequented by stray animals. The problem of stray animals, although not unique to Gurgaon, spoils the image of the place that aims to become the millennium city of India.

Apart from spoiling the image of the city as a modern and world class place to stay in, the problem of stray animals causes a lot of discomfort and trouble to the citizens of Gurgaon. When we talk of stray animals, there is a whole bunch of cows, buffalos, dogs, pigs, goats, sheep and rarely camels that can be spotted frequently on Gurgaon roads.

Although Gurgaon is a developed city, the concept of urban planning is missing here. There are a number of small villages scattered within the city. Cattle’s rearing is an important source of livelihood in these villages and one of the main reasons for stray cattles roaming in Gurgaon. Many cattle owners who take the herds of these cattles for selling in the market cross the city and thus causing abstruction to traffic. Also stray cattle enter the city roads from villages and cause discomfort to pedestrians.

The most dangerous among stray animals are dogs because they are unsterilized and dog bites cause serious health issues. Stray dogs cause serious life and health hazards to people. Similarly, stray animals like cow, buffalo, and pigs who keep roaming freely on the roads cause threat to vehicles on the road. They not only slow down the traffic but also cause road accidents as the vehicles lose their balance by applying sudden breaks to avoid collision with the stray animals. Open drains and sewers attract a large number of pigs on the city roads that cause unhygienic conditions everywhere.

The worst affected areas in Gurgaon by the problem of stray animals are sector 15, 23, 22, 10 Sushant Lok 1 and 2, Sec 56 and 57, and various other localities. The problem is more persistent in open colonies that do not have any boundary wall. The agony caused by stray animals is not much suffered by citizens living in apartments. However, stray animals pose equal danger to people on the roads.

Step taken but inadequate

MCG has established a government owned gaushala by the name of Kamdhenu Dham Nagar Gaushala in Gurgaon. It houses around 1000 bulls and cows. Most of these animals have been picked up while straying on Gurgaon roads.

Though this gaushala is a good attempt to provide shelter to cattle and also avoid menace on the road, it still does not solve the problem of pigs and dogs straying on the roads. The Animal Catching Team of MCG is also not efficient and does not respond immediately.

If the problems of stray animals keep causing menace on the Gurgaon roads, the city will soon lose its image as a modern and world class city. This is a major crisis as far as civic amenities are concerned and must be taken up by the administration on a serious note.

Reecha Kumar, Gurgaonsite