A determined senior citizen in Panchkula has single-handedly transformed a perilous stretch of road in Sector 20, turning it from a hazardous feeding ground for stray cattle into a clean and safe corridor for residents. The catalyst for this change was Ram Lal Goyal, a 68-year-old retired deputy general manager of Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), who decided that the dangerous status quo was no longer acceptable after his own close calls with accidents.
From Personal Peril to Public Solution
Goyal's mission began after he narrowly escaped two separate road accidents. Both incidents were caused by stray cows congregating on the pavement, attracted by food scraps carelessly discarded by residents. Frustrated by the lack of action despite over 200 formal complaints submitted to the municipal corporation and state leaders, the engineering graduate from Punjab Engineering College (PEC) put his systematic mind to work. He devised and funded a comprehensive community-led solution to address the twin issues of road safety and public hygiene.
A Three-Tiered Engineering Approach
Goyal identified unorganized feeding as the root cause. His engineered solution involved a clear three-tier strategy: designated feeding stations, organized logistics and maintenance, and public awareness.
He began by installing old plastic buckets, clearly labelled "food for cows," outside 20 housing societies in Sector 20. This centralized the collection of kitchen scraps. To ensure hygiene, Goyal personally hired a cleaner to sanitize these buckets every single day. He then coordinated with a local "cow wallah" to transport the collected food to proper cattle shelters, ensuring the animals were fed responsibly away from traffic.
For the crucial awareness component, he placed large stones painted with messages about hygiene and safety near housing societies. These signs urged residents to stop littering on the streets and to use the designated feeding bins instead.
Overcoming Community Resistance
The path to change was not smooth. Goyal initially faced significant pushback from some residents who misunderstood his intentions, believing he wanted to stop the feeding of animals altogether. "Initially, it was challenging," Goyal recalled. People removed his awareness stones, cut the ropes securing his signs, and even filed police complaints against him.
However, persistence paid off. The visible improvement in safety and cleanliness gradually won people over. Ritu Bareja, a retired senior manager from Punjab National Bank, was among the first to join Goyal's cause. Today, the pair reports that stray cows are rarely seen on Sector 20 roads, and the overall cleanliness of the locality has improved dramatically.
A Parallel Mission in Community Wellness
Ram Lal Goyal's drive for community betterment extends beyond urban infrastructure. At his residence in the Angel Co-operative Group Housing Society, he runs a personal health crusade. He grows wheatgrass and distributes it free of charge to nearly 30 regular visitors. Goyal, who credits the plant with curing his own chronic migraines, actively promotes its detoxification and immunity-boosting properties.
The story of Sector 20 in Panchkula stands as a powerful testament to how one individual's initiative and systematic thinking can solve a persistent civic problem, inspiring an entire community to participate in creating a safer, cleaner environment.
