The Odisha government has decided to fence stretches of national highways passing through urban areas to reduce accidents caused by stray cattle and dogs.
It also plans to set up controlled cattle crossings with information systems to raise public awareness and accountability.
Over the last three years till 2024, animal-vehicle collisions have claimed 1,601 lives in the state. In 2022 alone, 952 such accidents left 521 dead, followed by 1,168 accidents and 643 deaths in 2023, and 903 accidents and 437 deaths in 2024. Between 2022 and August 2025, 331 animals also died.
The decisions were taken at a high-level meeting chaired by commerce and transport department’s principal secretary Usha Padhee on Thursday. The meeting aimed to draft an integrated action plan to safeguard human lives and animal welfare while improving road safety.
“Stray cattle on roads have become a major safety concern, contributing significantly to accidents and fatalities,” officials said.
The strategy includes linking NHAI stretches with nearby Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) to ensure fencing, cattle control and sheltering through existing and new goshalas.
The plan also calls for strengthening goshalas, identifying stretches with high stray animal presence, and forging service-oriented partnerships with NGOs with support from the fisheries and animal resources development department.