Page 46 - Tehelka Issue 13 - July 15, 2018

Monkey menace biting the Hills

hen Harshit Sood came Due to primates, 12 states have witnessed crop loss of 286 crores
to meet his uncle’s in the year 2017-18 while the loss to horticulture crops is 173
family living in the
Lower Jakhu area of crores, writes rakesh rocky
W capital city of Shimla,
a few days ago, he never thought that tified in the state which are under at a shop in Badsar to earn bred-butter
he had to land in hospital for a reason severe attack of monkeys spread over to his family. The state government
he never expected. He was climbing 57 tehsils in 10 districts of the state out claims that of the total population of
the stairs when a group of monkeys at- of total 12. ‘’Right from my forefathers, 2.7 lakh around 1.39 lakh monkeys have
tacked him. He ran to save himself but we were farmers since many decades. been sterilized since 2006, of which 50
during this course he fractured him- But in the last few years when we found per cent were females. However, many
self. He was admitted in Indira Gandhi that kheti-badi (agriculture) is a busi- social organisations do not believe to
Medical College Hospital, Shimla, for ness of loss due to monkeys and other the government figures. ‘’This claim is
treatment. wild animals, we sold our land and now not correct. Monkeys have caused big
There were as many as 86 such cases we have opened a garment showroom losses to the agriculture in Himachal.
of monkey attacks registered with the in New Shimla,’’ said Ravinder Jasta of Large number of farmers are now on
state government record in the year of Shimla Gramin area. roads and fighting for the bread-butter,’’
2017-18. And there is another side of the He is not alone who is forced to stop said Dr Om Prakash Bhuraita, National
picture. Due to monkeys, 12 states have agriculture and shift to some other Treasurer Bharat Gyan Vigyan Samiti
witnessed crop loss of 286 crores in business in past few years. Sanjay Dhat- (BGVS), who is fighting for the cause
the year 2017-18 (till March 31) while the walia of Bijhri in Hamirpur district have
loss to horticulture crops is 173 crores. huge losses due to monkeys in his area. • Fear rules A total of 86 cases of monkey
A total of 2,318 villages have been iden- Now Sanjay is working as an employee attacks were reported in Shimla in 2017-18

photo: pradeep kumar

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46-49 Rakesh Rocky.indd 2 03/07/18 4:03 PM