Forming ‘Monkey Squads’ to combat monkey menace: Odisha Forest Minister

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government is forming ‘Monkey Squads’ to combat the monkey menace in the state informed State Forest Minister Ganesh Ram Singhkhuntia.

While replying to a question of Deogarh MLA Romancha Ranjan Biswal at the State Assembly today, the Minister informed the House that anti-depredation teams are being engaged in each forest division to disperse the monkeys and check the monkey menace. Besides, Ultrasonic Monkey Repeller is being used to threaten and to drive the mammals, he said.

The Minister further said that monkey squads are being deployed at the sensitive forest divisions and the Mankedias are roped-in, if needed, to capture the monkeys.

Mild Steel MS Cages and plastic nets are also being used to capture the monkeys from the domestic areas, said Singhkhuntia adding that efforts are on to use the Monkey Scaring Canon device.
“The monkey that create ruckus or become wild are given tranquilizers and released in far-off forests. Besides, awareness is being created among the people not to feed the monkeys,” the Forest Minister informed.

While speaking about the compensation, the Minister said that the State government is providing a compensation of Rs 6 lakh each for human casualty caused by the elephants. Besides, a compensation of Rs 20,000 per acre of paddy or other crops damaged by the pachyderms is also being given while it is Rs 25,000 per acre for the cash crops. The ‘Anukampa App’ has been introduced for the swift disbursement of these compensation amounts.

The Minister, however, clarified that there is no rules to provide compensation for the loss of crops damaged by the monkeys.