Question : Terror of Monkeys

(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 immune-contraception 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?

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 24th 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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