The Gujarat High Court has asked the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the state authorities to take concrete steps to prevent accidents involving stray cattle and dogs on highways, warning that high-speed traffic leaves motorists with little chance of survival when animals enter the carriageway.
The issue came up during a suo motu hearing on stray dogs, initiated by the High Court in line with directions issued by the Supreme Court. The matter was heard by a division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Manas Ranjan Pathak and Justice Nikhil Kariel.
During the hearing, the court questioned NHAI about the measures being taken to stop stray cattle from entering highways and to reduce the resulting accidents. Justice Kariel referred to a recent accident involving a luxury car in which three people died after an encounter with stray cattle on a highway.
The bench observed that the matter was a serious concern because Gujarat’s highways are in good condition and vehicles can travel at speeds of 100 to 110 kilometres per hour. At such speeds, the court said, a vehicle may have almost no chance of avoiding an animal that suddenly appears on the road.
NHAI attempted to respond to the concern, while Gujarat’s Advocate General, G.H. Virk, also made submissions. One suggestion discussed during the hearing was raising the height of highway dividers to prevent animals from crossing into the traffic lanes.
The court, however, pointed out that taller dividers alone may not solve the problem because dogs could still jump over them. The bench asked the authorities to consider the issue seriously and arrive at a workable solution rather than relying on a single physical barrier.
The hearing also covered the state’s compliance with Supreme Court directions concerning stray dogs. Lawyers representing the authorities submitted that departments had coordinated to collect and place the relevant information on the court record. They said the authorities had not left any deficiency and that all available data had already been submitted.
The court was told, however, that some details still appeared to be missing. The state government said it was prepared to submit fresh data. Taking note of the submissions, the High Court asked the authorities to coordinate with the court-appointed amicus curiae and provide all pending information so that the state’s complete response could be placed before the Supreme Court.
The proceedings put two connected road-safety responsibilities before the authorities: compiling reliable information on action against stray dogs and developing an effective method to prevent animals from entering high-speed highway corridors. The court has scheduled the matter for further hearing in the coming days.
