Monkeys top the list of nine wildlife species declared as crop damaging animals in Himachal Pradesh.
“Monkeys have been causing the highest damage to crop as per records,” said Forest minister, Gobind Singh Thakur in a written reply in state Assembly earlier this week.
Eight other species declared in the category are wild boar, blue bull, porcupine, jackal, cheetal, sambar, hare and parrot.
Thakur said as per last census of monkeys done in HP in 2015, the population of Rhesus monkeys has been found to be 2,07,614. After the census, various population hot spots have been identified for tackling the monkey menace more effectively.
“Monkeys have been declared vermin in 38 tehsils of HP and within Shimla Municipal Corporation limits in a recent notification issued by the Central government on 20 December, 2017 on the request of state government. This notification is valid for a period of one year,” he said.
He said the declaration of monkeys as vermin means that the farmers can kill them in the notified areas if they cause damage to the crops and private properties. Thus a relief has been provided to the farmers.
The minister said a sterilisation programme is ongoing since the year 2007 and currently eight Monkeys Sterilisation Centers are operational in the state.
“A total of 1,39,989 monkeys have been sterilised till 4 March, 2018. As a result of sterilisation, new births have been prevented which will result in controlling their population,” he said.
Thakur said there is no single policy document covering management of wild animals damaging crops of farmers in the state. Several policy initiatives, directives and instructions have been issued by the government from time to time for managing crop damaging wild animals, he said.
The forest minister informed that the nine species declared as crop damaging animals are protected under Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
He said the government has delegated powers to the Chief Wildlife Warden and all the Divisional Forest Officers (Territorial and Wildlife) in the state under Section 5(2) of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 to issue permit for hunting of such animals which cause damage to the crops in the field in exercise of the powers vested under Section 11 (1) (a) and (b) of the said Act.
“Such permit can be issued by the authorised officers to hunt wild animal(s) by recording proper reasons after an application is moved by a person whose agriculture crops have been damaged by the wild animals,” he said.
The minister said a scheme “Mukhya Mantri Khet Sanrakshan Yojna” is underway in the state, under which solar fencing around the agricultural fields is installed.