After the increasing menace of monkeys in Himachal, there may have been a debate on bringing them in the category of predatory animals (vermin), but now it will not be possible to put any animal in the vermin category. There has been a change in the Wild Life Act. Last year, the Wild Life Act was approved by the Rajya Sabha. With this approval, the provision of Schedule-5 included in the Wildlife Act has been removed. In fact, in Schedule-5 itself, there was a provision to declare animals threatening crops or human life as vermin. Now after removing the schedule no animal can be made vermin. Significantly, before the change in the Act, animals falling under the category of vermin have been legally allowed to be killed. Monkeys have been at the forefront of large-scale damage to crops and common people in Himachal. In view of this order, efforts were made in the past to bring monkeys in the vermin category. Recently, after falling from the third floor in Shimla, this girl died due to monkeys.
Earlier in 2014, a woman had died due to monkeys, whereas in November last year, monkeys ran amok with a bag containing Rs 75,000. Complaints about destruction of crops due to desolation of monkeys have also been coming from different districts across the state. In view of the increasing fear of monkeys, the State High Court has also taken cognizance and has issued orders to all the departments to clear the situation on declaring monkeys as vermin, but after the implementation of the new act, monkeys are no longer declared as vermin. Rather, other ways have to be adopted to reduce their population. The Forest Department has also made it clear that the sterilization campaign will be emphasized to control the increasing number of monkeys. Apart from this, to make people aware, the Forest Department will conduct special campaigns in the coming days in areas affected by monkeys. So that herds of monkeys cannot enter the city.
Forest department HoF Rajeev Kumar said that the department is going to speed up sterilization to curb the monkeys. Apart from this, people will be made aware. Monkeys are being provided food and drink in residential areas and due to this their herds stay on the roofs of the houses. He added that even heaps of garbage attract monkeys. For this, the concerned district administration and municipal corporation also need to pay attention.
