Shimla: As Himachal Pradesh has not killed even a single monkey despite declaring them vermin in 38 tehsils of the state, the government has now decided to form eco task forces for scientific culling of simians.
The decision was taken at at a high-powered committee meeting for wild animal and monkey menace held here on Monday. A survey would also be conducted jointly with Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun, to declare wild boar, sambar and nilgai as vermins.
Chief minister Virbhadra Singh, who chaired the meeting, said monkeys have been causing much damage to crops and fruits besides attacking people, children in particular. He said the government had decided to open 'Rescue Centre for Life Care' near Shimla, where around 1,000 rogue and sterilized monkeys could be housed. Another task force should also be constituted to deal with monkeys on national highways, villages and cities. Oral contraceptives should also be tried as a measure to control reproduction in female monkeys, he added.
Dalhousie MLA and All India Congress Committee secretary Asha Kumari suggested legal measures be check feeding of monkeys on national highways. She said no action was taken by law agencies at points along with national highways where monkeys are fed.
Additional chief secretary Tarun Kapoor said that monkeys which had been sterilized were being tattooed on the forehead. He said a list of 53 tehsils and sub-tehsils has been sent to the ministry of environment (MoEF), where monkeys could be declared vermin to provide much needed relief to the farmers and horticulturists. He added that monkey-watchers have been deployed near schools in Shimla to prevent any attack on children.
Principal chief conservator of forest (wildlife) S K Sharma said that 1,25,266 monkeys have been sterilized till march this year out of total estimated population of 2,07,614 as per survey conducted in 2015. He said a feeding station for monkeys was being set up at Jakhoo temple.