In the wake of rising incidents of attacks by monkeys on unsuspecting residents, the Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon (MCG) and Wild Life Care Federation (WLCF) have jointly formed a 15-member crack team to catch the primates.
The MCG has also set up a hotline (8571894097), where residents can call to report incidents in their area, following which the team would be sent to the spot to catch the primates.
The wake-up call came after a 25-year-old man fell to death in Nathupur after being startled by a troop of monkeys.
MCG commissioner TL Satya Prakash said, "We have been receiving complaints about the monkey menace from different areas for quite some time now. So we decided to form a team to stem the simian menace. We have also roped in WLCF to help us capture the monkeys."
SS Rohilla, a MCG spokesperson, said "The team has already started the hunt, and caught a few monkeys in Basai area on December 28. No harm will come to the monkeys. After being caught, they will be relocated to the city's outskirts, away from the residential areas.”
V Aryan, who's leading the WLCF team, said, “Captured monkeys will first undergo sterilisation with the help of the health department, followed by rehabilitation in the forest areas of Aravallis. Capturing monkeys is not an easy task, and there is no fixed method to trap them. Our team can also be attacked any time." He added, "Since the MCG signed us up for the job, priority will first be given to MCG areas, followed by HUDA sectors and villages. We aim to capture 30-35 monkeys every day."
Residents can finally heave a sigh of relief. Sanjay Kumar, a resident of Malibu Town, Sohna Road, said, "We are extremely happy with the decision. We have been dealing the money menace for a long time now. We did complain to the authorities several times, but no action was taken. Finally, we have a MCG helpline. Hope the number works -- most of the times, they don't."
Anand Singla, a resident of Uppal’s Southend, too praised the decision. He said, “The MCG has taken a good step. These monkeys have made our life hell -- no one feels safe inside the society, especially the kids. Many in my society have suffered monkey bites."
Pooja Rawat, a resident of Sushant Lok, said, "Our society has the maximum number of bite cases. I alerted the authorities several times, but they showed no interest. Thankfully, the MCG has now formed a crack team to the catch monkeys. We hope to be rid of this menace soon."
