Cuttack: The municipal corporation has decided to construct a new shelter for stray cattle in the city and expand the existing ones.

At present, there are two shelters for stray bulls, cows and buffaloes, which move through the city roads, holding up the traffic at key points.

The cattle shelter at Buxi Bazar is in bad shape and the other at Sati Chaura remains unused due to a collapsed boundary wall.

"The plan for expanding and refurbishing the existing two shelters and construction of a new shelter for stray cattle will be submitted before the municipal council shortly for approval, said the commissioner of Cuttack Municipal Corporation Bikash Ranjan Mohapatra on Friday.

Mohapatra conceded that the two shelters in their present condition do not have enough space. The civic body catches at least six to seven cattle a day. People feel the municipal corporation should give more attention to the stray cattle in the city.

Badambadi resident Prafulla Mohanty said: "The cattle menace affects traffic flow in almost all the localities of the city". Telenga Bazaar resident Pradeep Sahoo said: "The problem is unmanageable in areas that have slums with herds of stray cattle roaming freely on the roads."

Stray cattle menace had dominated the last monthly meeting of the traffic management committee constituted by the Orissa High Court for traffic issues in Cuttack.

Advocate Pravat Ranjan Dash, a member of the committee, had raised the issue alleging that "movement of people on the streets had become unsafe due to the menace of stray bulls and cows".

"We expect the Cuttack Municipal Corporation to deal with the stray cattle problem on priority basis," assistant commissioner of police, traffic, P.K.Dalei said.

A civic body official said the existing shelters for the stray cattle were inadequate as they had a capacity of accommodating not more than 50 animals.

"It becomes difficult when owners do not turn up to claim their cattle from the shelter," said the chairman of civic body's standing committee for sanitation, Ranjan Kumar Biswal.

The civic body has been imposing a fine of Rs 300 on the owners for leaving their cattle on the road.