Bhubaneswar, July 19: Bovine animals nonchalantly chewing cud on busy streets as harried motorists try to drive past them is a familiar sight here.

Five to 10 accidents are reported every day because of stray cattle blocking the streets, said a police official.

"The civic body officials have been told about this problem. It is their duty to remove the animals from the roads. Such accidents occur mainly during night when visibility is poor," he said.

Patia-Nandankanan Road and the Infocity area seem to be the favourite spots where owners let loose their animals on the roads to graze on the grassy sidewalks and medians, thus obstructing the flow of traffic. The situation is more or less the same in other parts of the city where stray cows and bulls rule the roads.

Janardan Mohanty, who owns a shop along the Patia-Nandankanan Road, told The Telegraph that around 100 cattle roam on the road in the morning and evening feeding on the grass on the sidewalks and medians. "Minor and major accidents are common here. I have never seen any official coming here to fine the owners or take the animals away," said Mohanty.

The menace is common at various busy traffic junctions, including AG Chhak, Rupali Chhak, Jayadev Vihar Chhak, Master Canteen Square, Rasulgarh Square and Khandagiri Square.

"It is becoming difficult to commute on the roads because of the uncontrolled movement of stray animals. Their number is increasing in the city as civic body officials are doing nothing to catch them," said Rasulgarh resident Mani Baliyarsingh.

At present, the civic body has five vehicles to catch stray cattle and also has provisions to impose a fine of Rs 100 on people who leave their animals unattended in public places. The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has a kine house in Kharavela Nagar that can accommodate only 10 cattle.

Mayor Ananta Narayan Jena said BMC officials were conducting their duty regularly. Their population is increasing and there is not enough space to impound them as the kine house at Kharavela Nagar can accommodate only 10 cattle, he said.

"We have decided to transport them to a new place at Jamukoli in Khurda. We have already earmarked five acres and started constructing the boundary wall. A detailed project report will be prepared shortly and a kine house will be built there," said Jena.

He said that earlier this year, the animals were being transported to cow sheds at Babandha and other places in Dhenkanal.

However, as the process was consumed both too much time and money, it was discontinued. "We plan to come up with stringent rules for the cattle owners who leave their animals unattended in public places," said the mayor.