The growing monkey menace in Dehradun city and its suburban areas has disrupted the routine life of people in different areas of the State capital.
People in areas where the population of macaques has grown are complaining that it has become difficult for them to move out of their homes without being confronted by the simians that also tend to behave aggressively and at times attack the humans.
Recently, the residents of Clement Town area protested at the Collectorate, accusing the authorities of remaining apathetic to the problems being faced by the residents due to the monkeys. They have warned that they will be forced to agitate if the authorities fail to take necessary action to rid the people of the monkey menace.
Till now the Forest Department used to be blamed for not catching and releasing simians from human settlements to forest areas. However, as per the standard operating procedures issued about a month ago by the government, the Municipal Corporation of Dehradun will be responsible for capturing problem causing monkeys from areas under the purview of the urban local body.
According to the Dehradun divisional forest officer, Sushant Patnaik, “According to the recently issued standard operating procedures the MCD will be responsible for catching problem monkeys from areas under its purview. The urban local body will have to seek permission from us after which the captured monkeys will be released in the forests.”
Referring to the problems being faced by the Clement Town residents, he said, “I am aware of the issue in that area. However, monkey trappers were not available earlier due to the Eid festivities and now we plan to hire them to do the needful in this area soon,” he added. The DFO further said that the SOP was issued about a month ago after which he had also written to the MCD informing it about the stipulations regarding the capture of monkeys from municipal areas.
“However, the MCD is not acting proactively. It needs to take the initiative in this regard,” he stressed. The Dehradun Mayor Vinod Chamoli said that he was unaware of any such directive being issued as no such information had reached him yet.
Replying to whether the MCD, struggling to fulfill its civic sanitation and other responsibilities, would be able to handle the task of capturing monkeys, he said that the corporation would try to do its best in this regard because monkeys were a problem in different areas of the city.