There are only three monkey catchers currently working with us,” the official said. The pandemic has further worsened the situation. “Despite providing the highest rates in the country, monkey catchers have been reluctant to work in Delhi due to fear of legal cases being filed against them. The civic body offers a compensation of ₹2400 per monkey to monkey catchers for this job. An SDMC veterinary department official said that around 50-60% simians were caught from areas around the Radha Soami Satsang Beas ashram when a Covid treatment centre was being operated at the site. The official relocation data for 2021 presented by municipal commissioners in November shows that the East Delhi Municipal Corporation has managed to catch and relocate 45 monkeys to Asola Bhatti while the North MCD relocated 58 monkeys and the SDMC shifted 336 monkeys. In 2007, deputy mayor SS Bajwa died of head injuries after falling from the terrace of his house, following an attack by monkeys. The relocation of captured monkeys to the Bhati mines area started in 2007 after a Delhi high court order. Poonam Bhati, who represents Tughlaqabad extension ward, echoed similar concerns about the rising monkey attacks in the area. The impacted region with increased conflict includes Aya Nagar, Tughlaqabad extension, Jaunapur, Fatehpur Beri, Asola, Dera Mandi and Bhati. On roads along Asola you can see groups of hundreds of monkeys,” he added. The water tankers on several houses have been damaged. There have been complaints from several schools about attacks during lunchtime. “There is no natural food source in the sanctuary so monkeys enter kitchens. Ved Pal, councillor from Aya Nagar ward, which is located right next to the relocation area, said that the whole region has been facing an increasing number of monkey attacks over the last 10 years. The SDMC official said that the project has only led to an increase in the man-monkey conflict in South Delhi areas as monkeys from all over Delhi are relocated to Asola Bhatti, which has no natural food source or boundary to prevent the entry of monkeys into residential areas. Having relocated more than 21,000 monkeys to Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary over the last decade, Delhi still does not have any official count of monkeys in open areas or sanctuaries. It was stated that fines may be issued but we don’t have any bylaws to support such fines,” the official said, requesting anonymity. “A meeting was held last month by the chief wildlife warden with all the stakeholder departments where the issue of monkeys was discussed. A senior veterinary department official from South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) said that the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act does not have any provision for fining people for feeding monkeys or dogs. Officials from the veterinary departments of the municipal corporations stated that they have not issued any such orders. It also covers residential areas and markets such as Sadar Bazar, Shastri Bazar, Nangal Raya, Mehram Nagar, and Naraina village besides ridge areas. The Cantonment comprises an area of approximately 10,521 acres. “We are empowered to issue fines up to ₹5000 as per the Cantonment regulations 2006,” he added. On Thursday, Singh confirmed to HT that the order has been issued and fines up to ₹5000 can be issued. Till now, no such restriction on feeding the simians has been imposed by any of the other four local bodies of the city. Anyone found feeding the monkeys in human habitation will be challaned or fined in accordance with existing municipal laws,” the order issued by the officer-in-charge (OIC) sanitation Delhi Cantonment Board Gyanendra Singh stated. “The public is hereby warned not to feed monkeys in human habitation particularly in residential colonies and in the vicinity of religious places. The warning added that the incidents of man-monkey conflict are on the increase in various parts of Delhi. The Delhi cantonment board (DCB) issued an order on Thursday stating that people feeding monkeys near human habitation will be fined.
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