Lok Sabha Question No. 980 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-02-08
Subject: Terror of Monkeys
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: S. RAJENDRAN, KUNWAR HARIBANSH SINGH, GAJANAN CHANDRAKANT KIRTIKAR, SUDHEER GUPTA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 980

TO BE ANSWERED ON 08.02.2019

## Terror of Monkeys

## 980. SHRI S. RAJENDRAN:

KUNWAR HARIBANSH SINGH:

SHRI GAJANAN KIRTIKAR:

SHRI SUDHEER GUPTA:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  civic  agencies  of  Delhi  have  failed  to  control  the  terror  of  monkeys  in different  parts  of  Delhi  particularly  in  North  Avenue,  South  Avenue  and  its  adjacent Government offices;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and the reasons for the same;
- (c) whether the Government  has provided funds for a pilot project  on  immunecontraception for controlling the population of wild animals responsible for damage and destruction of crops;
- (d) if  so,  the  details  of  funds  provided  by  the  Government  during  each  of  the  last  three years and the current year, State/UT-wise;
- (e) whether the Government has noted the misutilization of their funds by the State/UT and if so, the details thereof along with the action taken/being taken by the Government in this regard; and
- (f) the other steps taken/being taken by the Government to curb the menace of monkeys in North Avenue, South Avenue and its adjacent Government offices?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (DR. MAHESH SHARMA)

- (a & b) As per information received from Department Forests & Wildlife Government of NCT of Delhi, the civic Agencies (SDMC, EDMC, North MCD and NDMC) capture  and  translocate  monkeys  from  problematic  areas  and  release  them  in Asola Bhatti Sanctuary Wildlife Sanctuary. The civic Agencies released more than  20,000  monkeys  in  last  12  years  in  Asola  Bhatti  Wildlife  Sanctuary (ABWLS). The Department of Forests and Wildlife, Govt. of NCT of Delhi is providing  food  and      upkeep  to  the  monkeys  released  in  ABWLS  from  the habitation area of Delhi.
- (c)&(d) The Government has approved a pilot project on immuno-contraception in the year 2017 for controlling the population of wild animals responsible for damage and destruction of crops with a total amount 10.65 crore for a period of three

years to the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun and Ministry has released Rs. 6.35 crore during the financial year 2017-18.

- (e) The Government has not received any report of the misutilization of their funds by the State/UT.
- (f) The  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  curb  the  menace  of  monkeys  are following:
- i. Ministry  had  issued  an  advisory  in  the  context  of  human-wildlife conflict on 24 th Dec 2014, to the Chief Wildlife Wardens of all the State/ Union Territory Governments.
- ii. The advisory highlights the provisions in the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 to take corrective actions in case of human wild life conflict and the  Chief  Wildlife  Wardens  or  the  authorized  officers  are  expected  to exercise the legal powers diligently to address the problem faced by the public to the extent possible.
- iii. The advisory urges the State/Union Territory Governments to essentially utilize the powers under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and also, if need  arises,  submit  proposals,  after  due  objective  assessment  of  the situation, to this Ministry for declaration of such problematic animals as 'vermin', for specified period over specified areas.
- iv. Section 62 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 empowers the Central Government to issue notification to declare any wild animal other than those specified in Schedule I and Part II of Schedule II to be vermin for any area and a specified period of time. and to be included in Schedule V of the Act.
- v. Under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 there are provisions to deal with the issues relating  to  monkey menace. Section 11&12 of the Act empowers Chief Wildlife Wardens to control monkey menace.
- vi. The Ministry has approved a pilot project on the immuno-contraception for  controlling  the  population  of  wild  animals  responsible  for  damage and destruction and 'rhesus macaque' is part of such pilot project.

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