The Supreme Court of India on Monday intervened in the growing concern over road safety, seeking responses from the Central government and state authorities on a petition demanding the removal of stray cattle from national and state highways across the country.
A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta issued formal notices to the Centre, all State governments, and Union Territories. The court has directed the respondents to submit their replies within a period of four weeks.
The legal action follows a petition filed by the organization Lawyers For Human Rights International. The plea highlights the dual crisis of animal welfare and public safety, urging the court to direct authorities to frame and enforce uniform national guidelines to prevent cattle from wandering onto high-speed corridors.
A key demand in the petition is the mandatory fencing of national highways and expressways. The petitioners specifically emphasized that such measures are critical on “accident-prone stretches” where collisions between vehicles and stray animals often result in fatalities.
Beyond physical barriers, the plea outlines a multi-pronged approach to managing the stray cattle population. It seeks the establishment of “scientifically managed” cattle shelters or gaushalas, supported by earmarked funding to ensure they remain functional and humane.
To address the root cause of the issue, the petition calls for the imposition of strict penal liability on individuals who illegally abandon their cattle. Furthermore, it proposes the formulation of a “no-fault compensation framework” to provide financial relief to victims of accidents caused by stray animals on highways, ensuring that the burden of such tragedies does not fall solely on the affected citizens.
The Supreme Court’s decision to take up the matter underscores the urgent need for a coordinated policy between the Union and the States to secure India’s expanding highway network.
