BY ARUN PRATAP SINGH
DEHRADUN, 31 May: The Uttarakhand government has claimed to have finally resolved years of confusion over departmental responsibilities for controlling the growing monkey menace, issuing clear directives that assign key roles to both the Urban Development and Forest Department. This decision comes as the simian menace continues to hit the residents across urban and peri-urban areas, with frequent attacks on children, women, and the elderly.
The state has witnessed an alarming rise in monkey-related incidents, with villagers and city dwellers struggling against constant harassment and injuries. In Almora, stepping out of homes has become dangerous, as children face difficulties reaching school safely and families live in fear of sudden attacks. The Migration Commission has even cited the monkey menace as a contributing factor to rural out-migration.
Following repeated complaints over overlapping responsibilities, the government has now acted to ensure more efficient handling of the issue. While a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) was issued in 2013, the Forest Department alone had continued managing both rural and urban monkey-related problems. Recently, however, the Urban Development Department issued fresh orders, directing officials to implement guidelines for managing conflicts within city limits. This was further reinforced after a high-level meeting chaired by Principal Secretary Forest RK Sudhanshu in April, where a coordinated strategy was discussed.
Additional Secretary Urban Development Gaurav Kumar has now instructed municipal commissioners and executive officers to strictly follow the guidelines, clarifying that the Urban Development Department will take the lead in urban areas while the Forest Department provides necessary support.
On the ground, the Forest Department claims to have made significant progress in its sterilisation campaign, yet challenges remain. Since 2015-16, more than 1,19,970 monkeys have been sterilised, with over 30,845 procedures completed in 2024-25 alone. However, the menace persists, partly due to the influx of monkeys from neighbouring Uttar Pradesh and the slow pace of sterilisation, further complicated by health checks and operational delays.
To address the issue, the state has intensified its efforts. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami had recently directed forest officials to double sterilisation targets while exploring additional solutions such as installing solar-powered streetlights in villages, launching public awareness campaigns, and promoting bio-fencing to protect crops. He had also stressed on the importance of timely ex-gratia payments to victims of wildlife conflict and has proposed increasing the compensation amount from Rs 4 lakhs to Rs 6 lakhs.
The government is also developing large-scale open forest enclosures to accommodate captured monkeys. Four such enclosures, covering approximately 70 hectares in Haridwar, Nainital, Almora, and Pithoragarh, are expected to house over 25,000 monkeys. This marks a significant step towards a humane and sustainable approach, standing in contrast to calls for monkeys to be declared vermin, a proposal repeatedly rejected by the central government.
Despite these measures, monkey-related conflicts continue to escalate. The Forest Department records show a sharp rise in injuries, increasing from just one person affected in 2013 to two in 2016, 102 in 2024, and already 23 cases reported in 2025. The growing numbers underline the urgency of coordinated action and innovative solutions.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Wildlife R K Mishra has shared with the media that with the Urban Development Department now actively participating, the Forest Department remains committed to assisting. With joint efforts and sustained action, the authorities hope to bring much-needed relief to Uttarakhand’s residents and effectively curb the escalating monkey menace.
