After installing huge langur cutouts, the Delhi Police has sought the help of civic agencies to curb the menace of monkeys and dogs in and around central Delhi’s Rajghat ahead of G20 delegates’ visit to the Mahatma Gandhi memorial. Police have also asked the agencies to rope in snake catchers. The delegates will visit Rajghat on Sunday. Proper security arrangements are being made and traffic police personnel will ensure their visit goes smoothly.
The agency concerned has been asked to deploy people to catch monkeys and dogs during the delegates’ visit to Rajghat. There is a jungle nearby so they have also been asked to press snake catchers into service, a senior police officer said.
These people will keep checking the area and update the security personnel. Besides, they are patrolling the Yamuna Khadar area in a tractor, the officer said. Officer said they conducted a safety audit of Rajghat, after which they requested civic agencies to deploy men.
“One agency said snakes might come through nearby drains. So, it became imperative to deploy catchers,” the officer said. Cops have been patrolling the area to ensure monkeys don’t disrupt the floral arrangements. They are also using tractors to patrol Khadar area to watch out for anti-social elements. Apart from placing the cutouts of langurs along major roads and in locations the monkeys tend to frequent, the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has deployed “30 to 40 monkey wallahs or monkey-men” who mimic the hoots and screams of the aggressive langur monkey to create the impression that the animals are alive and moving. In addition, the authority has started providing food to monkeys in forested areas to ensure they do not wander beyond the boundaries.
The unchecked population of monkeys has led to instances of the primates attacking and biting bystanders in Delhi. Monkeys have also been known to trash gardens and rooftops, and chase people for food. Recently, Hundreds of stray dogs in the national capital are being rounded up by authorities and moved to shelters in the run-up to the G20 summit this weekend.