Bengaluru: Residents amused as cow wanders in metro station

People at Bengaluru's Banashankari metro station were left surprised on Wednesday when they saw a cow wandering into the station.

The uninvited guest was spotted near the sugarcane juice stall near the staircase area. A video clip of the incident, which has now gone viral has left citizens of Bengaluru amused and alarmed.



Banashankari is one of the city's busiest metro stations and is situated along a bustling vegetable market that comes alive at dawn. Poor waste management in the market area has made it a haven for stray cattle. Vendors regularly dump fruit and vegetable waste on road medians and near Metro premises, attracting cows in search of food.

Apart from the menace, it also is a risk for motorists and pedestrians, with frequent stray sightings between JP Nagar Metro station and Banashankari Circle. But this is the first time a cow strayed into a Metro station.

"I live near Pipeline Road and travel daily from Banashankari to BTM Layout. Accessing the TTMC has become a major hassle, as vendors occupy the footpath and litter after their business. The authorities must ensure scientific waste disposal, as vegetable waste dumped on road medians attracts cattle. This has caused major inconvenience to people using the road every day," Chandrashekar R, a Banashankari resident, told TOI.

A BMRCL official told TOI, "It (the cow) was nibbling on banana stems near the entrance. Our staff moved it out in under a minute."

The cow's sighting has reignited concern over the rising number of stray cattle along Kanakapura Road.

Flower merchant GM Diwakar said, "After the pandemic, there was a sharp drop in farmers selling produce, especially flowers, at KR Market. Now, farmers with small land holdings prefer markets like Banashankari, Yelahanka, Madiwala, and others. The closure of the KR Market parking lot has become another major issue preventing farmers and traders from going there. They arrive early morning and finish sales by 8.30am or 9am. When they don't get a fair price, they dump unsold produce and leave. Since agricultural goods are perishable, not getting the right price causes financial stress. That's why waste is dumped on medians and nearby roads. Everyone knows how the waste collection mafia operates, and only the authorities can address the issue."