Stray cattle roaming in Port Kaituma, Region One are being blamed for hindering the reconstruction of a road, and the contractor Chrisna David is calling for the establishment of a pound in the community.
Speaking to Stabroek News, the affected contractor said that the rehabilitation work on School Road, Port Kaituma started two weeks ago, but it is constantly being troubled by the herd of stray cattle. The contractor explained that the project is behind schedule, and he has only been able to complete 50 percent of it.
“These animals are a nuisance to us… Every time we finish a part of the road and leave, these cows would come walking on the road leaving holes…” he stressed.
According to David, the herd is not only causing damage to the reconstructed road, but also farms and residential areas in the community.
He noted that “these animals don’t have brands and the person(s) who own them are only accepting ownership of two. I have made reports to the police and the NDC, but nothing is being done. The police said they don’t have anywhere to keep the strays.”
David further noted that the issues with strays has been around since the early 2000’s and “to my knowledge nothing has changed since with these animals.”
The animals he said can be found the roaming the compounds of the schools and the market.
Regional Chairman, Brentnol Ashley, in an invited comment confirmed that the community has been plagued with stray cattle roaming the community. Ashley said they have requested help from the Ministry of Communities and Public Security and are awaiting a response.
He noted that before they look to set up a pound in the community several factors will have to be considered. While it would be a long-term solution to the issue, they would have to get clearance from the relevant ministries.
“We would have to consider the location, and finding an area close to the police station for the pound, and have the ministry employ persons to work in the stray catching unit,” Ashley explained.
He said that the Neighbourhood Democratic Council in the past had made attempts to find a remedy to the situation, but was unsuccessful.
“They have reached out to the owners and asked them to find an area for the animals to graze but that wasn’t done. Another issue is that these animals do not have any brands, so we don’t know who the owners are,” the Regional Chairman explained, adding that “this is an issue that is affecting everyone in the community.”
