HP govt to hire eco-battalions to kill Shimla’s marauding monkeys
SEVERAL FARMERS WERE FORCED TO GIVE UP FARMING, OWING TO THE CROP DESTRUCTION CAUSED BY THE MONKEYS
SHIMLA: Two months after monkeys were declared vermin for a period of another six months in Shimla, the wildlife wing of the forest department has decided to rope in eco-battalions to catch and kill marauding monkeys in the capital town.
“We have spoken to eco-battalions and they are ready for the job. We will provide them tranquillisers and other guns and they will kill the monkeys. Killing monkeys is not the mandate of the forest department,” said Tarun Kapoor, additional chief secretary (forest).
“We will have to look into what kind of guns to give to the eco-battalions,” said Kapoor.
Himachal Pradesh has two eco battalions—one stationed in Pandoh and the other stationed in Sunni—besides a transit camp in Kufri.
A survey conducted by the wildlife wing has pegged the monkey population in Shimla municipal limits at 2,452.
The department identified eight spots that were the most vulnerable to monkey attacks— Jakhu, Summer Hill, Glen, Kaithu, Khalini, Fagli, Tuti Kandi and Bharari. Monkey menace was so rampant at several places that many farmers were forced to give up agriculture, owing to widespread crop destruction by the simians. Kisan Sabha, the farmers’ body in the state, had even started a massive campaign demanding the government to hire former soldiers to shoot down marauding monkeys.
In March 2015, the Union ministry of environment and forest had declared monkeys vermin for a period of six months in relaxation of Section 62 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. But the forest department failed to make arrangements to cull monkeys within this period and by the time the deadline for monkey culling expired, not even a single monkey was culled. The state government recently requested the ministry of environment to declare monkeys vermin for period another six months in Shimla.
As the government lacks expertise in killing monkeys, it has decided to rope in eco- battalions to ward monkeys off from places where the menace is rampant.