Radium reflectors on the animals’ horns and necks will make them more visible to commuters in night which will lessen the chances of road accidents in Noida and greater Noida.

Noida and Greater Noida will from now on witness fewer road accidents as NGOs and local authorities are taking several innovative road safety measures for the daily commuters. A Greater Noida-based animal welfare NGO has taken an innovative measure to enhance road safety by affixing radium reflectors on the horns of community cattle in Noida and Greater Noida.

The whole idea of the NGO is to make these animals more visible to commuters in pitch-dark conditions, and reduce road accidents involving cattle on the roads and highways.

As per the NGO, Sophie Memorial Animal Relief Trust, this initiative ha come in response to two recent accidents in both cities.

A Delhi resident named Naserruddin, aged 45, died on September 29 when a community bull struck his moving motorcycle. The accident caused him to lose balance, and he was subsequently run over by a speeding truck in the Badalpur area of Greater Noida.

Then two days later, on October 2, an SUV driven by Ravi Anand, a 35-year-old originally from Bihar, collided with at least five community cattle on a road in Sector 42. The accident led to the deaths of three cows, with two others sustaining injuries.

“To prevent such incidents, our NGO has launched an initiative to attach reflectors to the horns and necks of cattle. We have deployed three to four teams of volunteers across Noida and Greater Noida to safeguard these animals and prevent accidents,” Kaveri Rana, founder of the NGO, was quoted as saying by HT.

She highlighted that the difficulty of spotting cattle on the roads at night often leads to road accidents.

“Radium reflectors on the animals’ horns and necks are intended to make them more visible to commuters and help avoid mishaps. The goal is to reduce accidents in the city, and we hope that local authorities will support our efforts to protect cattle and prevent accidents,” Rana said.

Apart from the NGOs, Noida and Greater Noida authorities have taken several safety measures to address the issue of stray animals on the roads.

SP Singh, deputy general manager (DGM) of Noida Authority, told HT that four authority teams are actively working in the city to capture stray cattle and mitigate accidents. “We also impose penalties on cow owners who allow their cattle to roam on the roads. After capture, these cattle will be relocated to cowsheds for better care,” he added.

In the meantime, Medha Roopam, additional CEO of Greater Noida Authority, said that the authority has deployed cattle capture teams in Greater Noida, and area-wise rosters have been prepared to manage this situation effectively.