New Delhi: Where there is a will there is a way. The government has found a solution to the red-faced rhesus macaques (a species of Old World monkey) causing chaos in New Delhi, creating fear among the population in and around the national capital. To ensure that they don’t come in the way of G20 delegates, the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) is placing life-size cut-outs of grey langurs along the Central Ridge roads.
The civic body plans to employ 40 trained workers who will emulate the voice of grey langurs. These efforts aim to discourage monkeys from venturing near hotels and venues associated with the G20 Summit, News18 reported sources as saying. “The langur cut-outs have been put up on an experimental basis, and we will have to see how much actual impact they have on the monkey density. We also have trained people who are experts in making sounds similar to langurs. They will be deployed at various sites across New Delhi to keep monkeys in check,” Satish Upadhyay, NDMC’s vice chairman told News18.
However, skeptical experts are urging for a more comprehensive investigation to tackle the ongoing monkey issue in Delhi. Faiyaz Khudsar, the scientist overseeing Delhi Development Authority’s biodiversity parks program, told News18, “Even if such an experiment is being undertaken, movement is a critical factor, and stationary cut-outs may not help. They should put up these cut-outs in large numbers as multiple replications will be needed to ascertain the impact.”
Khudsar highlighted the necessity to analyse multiple factors for effective interventions. Agencies must examine the movement patterns of monkey groups, their need to cross roads for specific habitats or water sources, and whether their activity increases significantly on important days due to food expectations.
