Several incidents of stray cattle coming on to the railway tracks and being run over by trains have been reported in Secunderabad Division of South Central Railway. Such incidents have affected the punctuality of trains and also caused damage to the locomotives of the trains. These incidents can also affect safety of passengers, particularly when several cattle are run over.
Keeping the same in view, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) conducted repeated drives against owners of cattle, who leave their cattle for grazing near railway tracks.On account of these drives, 28 cases were registered by RPF in the month of July 2011, in which 37 persons were arrested.Following this, in the first week of August 2011, another 8 cases were registered and 10 persons arrested.These arrests were made at various places like Sanathnagar, Kazipet, Warangal, Khammam, Mancheriyal, Mandamarri, Rechni Road, Serum, Sirpur
Kagaznagar, Hasanparthi, Uppal, Chintalapalli, Karepalli, etc.
Apart from taking legal action, the RPF has also launched several drives to educate villagers regarding the risks caused by stray cattle grazing near railway tracks. RPF officers and staff held meetings in Village Panchayats and counseled villagers not to leave their cattle unguarded.