The Supreme Court of India has decided to recruit ‘money scarers’ who will be deployed after the growing menace of monkeys at judge’s bungalows in Delhi. On Thursday, The Supreme Court issued a notice asking housekeeping agencies to submit tenders for providing manpower to tackle the issue of monkeys at government bungalows of judges.
Supreme Court of India calls tenders from housekeeping agencies to provide manpower for monkey scarers at the Residential bungalows of #SupremeCourt judges including guest houses #monkeyscare pic.twitter.com/d8t6JkcbAv
— Bar & Bench (@barandbench) March 3, 2022
The growing nuisance of monkeys in the National Capital has prompted the Supreme Court to take necessary actions for the well-being of its judges. A statement calling for tenders for the recruitment of ‘monkey-scarers’ as and when required was issued by the SC. Reputed housekeeping agencies located in Delhi and NCR have been asked for providing monkey-scaring services at ‘lowest/best’ rates. The statement read, “Sealed tenders are invited from the reputed ‘Housekeeping Agencies’ of Delhi and NCR for engaging/hiring the services for providing the manpower for Monkey Scarers at the Residential Bungalows of Hon’ble Judges of the Supreme Court of India including Guest House initially for a period of six months on as and when required basis,“
Monkey scarers will be deployed at close to 35 to 40 government bungalows and guest-houses located within a radius of 3 to 4 kilometres from the Supreme Court of India. The tenderers are required to send their tenders along with a demand draft of Rs 10,000/- in favour of the Registrar of the Supreme Court of India, the statement said.
Monkey scarers use various techniques to scare away monkeys from residential areas. They scare the monkeys by mimicking the sound of Langurs and use sticks and rubber bullets. Monkey scarers were earlier deployed around the parliament also.
Growing menace of monkeys in New Delhi
Far from as astonishing as it sounds, the growing attacks by monkeys in New Delhi is indeed a serious deal. People residing in high foliage areas – especially in the neighbourhoods of Vasant Kunj, Saket, Chhatarpur and Sainik Farms live threatened lives concerning the attacks by monkeys. Instances have happened when a barrage of monkeys have ransacked entire homes after finding an ‘open’ window of opportunity.
Delhi, which is characterised by a huge monkey population faces simian attacks, especially in the Summers when about 20,000 monkeys kept in the nearby Asola Bhatti wildlife sanctuary flee and raid the nearby city areas in search of food and water. This has resulted in a serious problem of monkeys raiding homes, barging into local gardens, causing damage and often wounding citizens.
Delhi, which reports around 1,800 cases of monkey bites every year, also reported a death incident of a citizen when a monkey hit his head with a brick. Locals have been complaining for years to tackle this issue of monkey menace.
Headed by Somnath Bharti, The AAP government had formed a five-member Delhi Assembly panel which came with a plan to sterilise around 25,000 monkeys in Delhi over a period of three years at a cost of Rs 23 crore. In 2019, before the beginning of the Winter Session, MPs visiting the Parliament were cautioned about the growing raids of Monkeys on the premises. “Don’t tease or make direct eye contact with a monkey, and definitely don’t get between a mother and her infant,” one advisory read.
Having been threatened by the simian jeopardy, it is imperative upon the state, now to take concrete steps to rehabilitate the monkeys to a natural environment, so as to save the citizens from their growing attacks.
