Union Home Ministry has asked the security agencies to deploy about 50 additional monkey catchers — both at Rajpath and in its vicinity as well as at Hotel ITC Maurya to avoid an unusual threat — simian terror — during the stay of US President Barack Obama in the national Capital.
Obama is the chief guest at the Republic Day parade this year and the entire 2.5 sq km Raisina Hill area that houses the Rashtrapati Bhavan, PMO, South and North Blocks is being turned into a fortress for the visiting dignitary.
The Ministry has sent a directive to the security agencies, including Delhi Police to hire “monkey catchers” in large numbers and deploy them at strategic locations in the high security Raisina Hill so that the macaques do not trouble the US’ First Couple during their presence at the Republic Day celebrations.
The monkey catcher will also ensure that the macaques do not disrupt the movements of their entourage during their stay here. On a three-day-visit to India, the US President and his wife Michelle Obama will arrive here on Sunday morning and will drive straight to Rashtrapati Bhavan from where they will go to Rajghat to pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi.
The Ministry has also directed the security agencies to deploy the monkey catchers on the ridge forest opposite ITC Maurya that will host the high-profile visiting guests. In normal times, hordes of monkeys are seen loitering on the roads around the hotel.
Following the Ministry’s directive, the security agencies, including Delhi Police have held meetings with the civic authorities to arrange 45-50 additional monkey catchers. To rein in the marauding simians, these monkey catchers will be deployed at strategic locations at Raisina Hill, Rajghat and ITC Maurya and at some highrise buildings in the locality that will also be manned by snipers from Central police organisations, sources said.
The seat of governance around the Parliament House is a witness to simian trouble all through the day which peaks after sunset. These macaques virtually take over the Government buildings soon after the offices close down in the evenings and their rampage begins in the night when they hop from one place to another, damaging flowerpots, uprooting saplings and even damaging telephone lines.
The monkey menace has increased after langurwallahs (group of nomads who used to scare away the troublemakers) disappeared following a campaign by BJP leader and animal rights activist Maneka Gandhi.
Maneka had protested against langurs being exploited saying they were protected species and must be released back into the wild. Some of the langurwallahs were arrested under the Wildlife Protection Act following her intervention.
Union Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu had a few months back asked the New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) to hire 40 young men who can mimic the call of langurs to scare away monkeys from the Raisina Hill and adjoining Government office buildings.
As many as 20 men who mimic langurs are already employed to scare away the monkeys from the North and South Block and other Government buildings in the vicinity. The civic body pays Rs 10,000 a month to every monkey catcher deployed in the high-security zone.