Cattle owners who leave their animals unattended along highways in Wangdue Phodrang will henceforth be fined. The penalty ranges from cash to the auctioning of unclaimed animals. The decision was taken during the recent Dzongkhag Tshogdu, as unattended cattle continue to cause inconveniences in the district.
The district sits at a major junction linking the east, west, north and south, so traffic is constant. It is common to see groups of cattle standing right on the road while others graze along the roadside.
Some residents said limited grazing space and fear of wild animal attacks are pushing cattle onto the highways, while some animals are neglected or abandoned.
This issue is not new in the district. It was raised in last year’s Dzongkhag Tshogdu and became a key topic in the recent meeting, again.
A special committee of the Dzongkhag Tshogdu presented several measures to tackle the problem, including restrictions and penalties in addition to existing rules.
According to the Livestock (Amendment) Rules and Regulations of Bhutan 2022, owners will be fined Nu 1,000 per animal the first time and Nu 5,000 per animal for repeat offences. If the rightful owners fail to claim their animals within three days of enclosure, the authorities will auction them.
“In Section 2, if the rightful owners do not come forward within three days after the animals are enclosed to pay the fine and claim their animals, the relevant agencies are allowed to auction the animals. The committee thoroughly discussed this topic based on the Livestock Act and Rules, 2022,” said Chador, Gase Tshogom Gup, Wangdue Phodrang.
“Generally, if the location falls within the Thromde area, it is the responsibility of the Thromde. If it is along the highway, it falls under the responsibility of the Road Department. Likewise, if it is along a Gewog road, it is the responsibility of the Gewog Administration. This responsibility is clearly defined. My request today is that if you could allocate some time to create comprehensive public awareness, it would certainly help address some of these problems,” said Tashi Dawa, Wangdue Phodrang Dzongda.
The house discussed nine proposed solutions and approved most of them.
The measures will come into effect only after awareness and sensitisation programmes are carried out in the villages.
Changa Dorji, Wangdue Phodrang
Edited by Sonam Pem
