Stray cattle menace gives hard time for Mattuthavani market traders in Madurai

MADURAI:  Noting that the herds of cattle straying into the Mattuthavani vegetable and fruits market have been giving a hard time for traders as well as customers, the traders of the markets have urged the city corporation to take measures to prevent the cattle menace on the premises.

Matthuthavani market is one of the largest of its kind in the district, with around 1000 shops selling tons of vegetables and fruits arriving for sale on a regular basis. According to sources, "The traders say visitors are often greeted first by the massive herd of cows and bulls. The cattle do not hold back from munching on the vegetables and fruits offloaded at the market during the night, due to which the traders have incurred huge losses.”

Speaking to TNIE,  V Mohanraj, president of the Integrated Fruit and Vegetable Shopping Complex Traders Association, said, "There are nearly 200 cattle straying inside the market, including calves and bulls. Most of the vegetable loads arrive during the midnight hours and are often left outside respective shops. During the day, the traders often try to ward off the cattle using sticks as they come near their stores. But at night, the vegetable and fruit loads are left untended, making it easy for the cattle to feed off the load.”

He added that despite filing a series of complaints with the city corporation, no actions were taken toward addressing the issue. “The city corporation should take action towards penalising the owners of the cattle and impounding them to prevent future trouble,” he added.
 
Further speaking, Dinesh, a local resident reasoned that it is the heaps of waste that are dumped inside the market that attract the cattle. “The cows and bulls inside the market often cause roadblocks and inconvenience to the traders and the people who come to purchase vegetables. There have been incidents of cattle attacking people as well. The corporation should place a guardrail at the entrance of the market to prevent the cattle from straying into the premises.  

When contacted, officials from the city corporation stated that proper actions are being taken towards addressing the issue by imposing fines and creating awareness among cattle owners.