The death of 22 cows as a lorry overturned at Gorlesitarampuram village in Bobbili mandal on exposed the rackets in smuggling of cattle from north coastal Andhra and South Odisha to various states and occasionally to Bangladesh.
Reports said the lorry was carrying a full load of adult cows from Rayagada to Telangana. When it came to Vizianagaram district, the vehicle driver came across a road of potholes and inundated with stormwater. While he attempted to cross the stretch, the vehicle overturned.
While 22 cows died, several others were injured. The accident blocked the road and caused a traffic jam in which hundreds of vehicles carrying people home for the festival were stranded.
Illegal transportation of cattle is a flourishing business in the region and the police in north coastal Andhra Pradesh are often bribed to get the cattle through. The problem is also that when the cattle are seized, the district administration faces the problem of sheltering them either temporarily or permanently.
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