Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], September 14 (ANI): The Shimla Nagrik Sabha on Monday staged a protest against the increasing menace of monkeys, langurs and aggressive stray dogs in the city and demanded Rs 5 lakh compensation for the family of a woman who died after allegedly falling from a rooftop following a monkey attack in the Cemetery area.
The protest was addressed by Shimla Nagrik Sabha president Jagmohan Thakur and secretary Vivek Kashyap, among others. The protesters said attacks by monkeys, langurs and dogs had become increasingly common in Shimla, posing a particular threat to women, children and elderly people.
The Sabha said the woman from the Cemetery area had gone to her rooftop to check water when monkeys allegedly attacked her. She fell from the roof and later died while undergoing treatment at a hospital.
Describing the incident as tragic and serious, the organisation alleged that the Municipal Corporation had failed to show the required sensitivity and take effective action to address the problem. It demanded adequate compensation for the bereaved family and concrete measures to prevent similar incidents.
The protesters said that despite repeated representations and appeals to the Municipal Corporation, no permanent solution had been found to the growing problem of monkeys, langurs and stray dogs.
They also raised concern over people feeding the animals in the open, saying that this had resulted in several locations becoming regular gathering points for monkeys, langurs and dogs. Such places, they said, had become difficult and unsafe for pedestrians, with an increased risk of attacks and dog bites.
“While injuries can be treated, the fear created in the minds of children and women following such attacks can persist for a long time,” the Sabha said, adding that animal bites also pose the risk of serious diseases.
The organisation alleged that despite claims over the past several years regarding sterilisation of monkeys and dogs, their numbers had not declined and the problem appeared to be worsening. It also said that some dogs had become highly aggressive and demanded that such animals be identified, captured and housed in safe shelters.
The Sabha further pointed to the condition of several footbridges constructed under the Smart City project, alleging that some had effectively become shelters for dogs and monkeys, making them difficult and risky for pedestrians to use.
It said monkeys and langurs are wild animals whose natural habitat is forests, but their presence in residential areas of Shimla had become increasingly visible. Feeding them in the open in the name of religious faith, it said, was disturbing the natural balance and creating a serious threat to public safety.
After the protest, a delegation led by Jagmohan Thakur met officials of the Municipal Corporation and submitted a set of demands.
The organisation demanded Rs 5 lakh compensation for the family of the woman who died following the monkey attack in the Cemetery area; strict legal action against people who feed monkeys, langurs and dogs in public places; and immediate identification and shifting of aggressive dogs, monkeys and langurs to safe shelters.
It also demanded that pedestrian paths and footbridges be cleared of the animal menace, sterilisation of dogs and monkeys be undertaken on a “war footing” with effective monitoring, and monkeys and langurs increasingly entering residential areas be safely relocated towards their natural habitats in coordination with the concerned departments.
The Sabha also sought special surveillance and regular drives in vulnerable areas to ensure public safety.
The delegation included Vivek Kashyap, Sunil Vashisht, Tilak Raj, Dolma, Naveen, Mahesh Verma, Jagat Ram, Dr Vijay Kaushal and Suresh Badhawan, among others.
The Shimla Nagrik Sabha warned that if the Municipal Corporation failed to address the issue, it would mobilise the public and launch a larger agitation against the civic body, including a possible gherao until the problem was resolved.
The Sabha urged the Municipal Corporation administration to take immediate and decisive measures to reduce human-animal conflict and ensure the safety of residents. (ANI)
Shimla Citizens' body protests over monkey, langur and dog menace; seeks Rs 5 lakh compensation for woman killed after animal attack
