Govind Sharma
JAMMU, May 11: The cases of monkey-menace are rising in Jammu city, especially in old city areas like Panjtirthi, Pacca Danga, Chowk Chabutra, Jain Bazaar, Pacck Dhaki and Kacchi Chawani, thereby creating terror among residents.
In most areas, the residents are forced to stay indoors because of the monkey brigade that comes calling as soon as they attempt to step out. There is an endless list of instances where someone was not even aware of a monkey around him until he was attacked.
The monkey menace is not all about chasing people on rooftops or storming through the kitchen window to feast on whatever that is available. Sometime back, a young girl namely Visakha fell down from the 2nd floor terrace of her house in Chowk Chabutra after some monkeys charged towards her.
She was enjoying the winter sun with her 8-year-old brother Nikhil. The two suffered multiple injuries and had to be rushed to the trauma centre.
Visakha’s was not the only case. A Ladakhi student presently residing in a rented room in Jain Bazaar also suffered a fracture in his elbow after he fell down in a drain while trying to escape the attacking monkeys. In yet another incident, an 8th class student was also attacked by a monkey in Kacchi Chawani area.
Two days back, a 65-year-old retired bank employee namely Vijay Vaid was left injured following a simian attack. Incidents of people suffering injuries after being attacked and chased by monkeys have become a routine feature in last couple of years.
Every time there is an incident, the authorities promise all possible action to check the menace. Control rooms are set up and dedicated staff deputed to register the complaints. But once the issue dies down in the newspapers, the situation turns back to the square one.
“We have done everything that we could to check such invasions by the monkeys. From repeatedly complaining to the municipal authorities and forest officials, to fortifying our houses with steel mesh and grills,” said Amit of Chowk Chabutra. No help, however, is forthcoming from the authorities.
“The situation is so bad that I am sure if any private agency offers services to catch the monkeys from a particular pocket of the city and pack them off to the jungles, people will be willing to dole out whatever it takes,” he added.
When contacted, Amit Sharma, Wild Life Warden, Jammu said that due to religious sentiments, people feed monkeys, which attract them towards residential areas and when these monkeys attack them they complaint. He said a week ago we launched a drive against monkey feeders in many city areas and imposed fine on people feeding monkeys.
When asked about translocation of these monkeys, Sharma said that some days back we captured about 23 monkeys near Governor House and released them in the far off forest areas. He said that they have made a proposal regarding translocation of monkeys active in city areas and hoped that within one week the proposal will be approved by the concerned committee after which they will launch a drive in city areas to check the monkey menace.
Follow our WhatsApp channel