Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has established special squads to address the growing monkey menace in various parts of the state, informed Forest Minister Ganesh Ram Singhkhuntia in the State Assembly on Tuesday.
Responding to a query from BJD MLA from Kendrapara Ganeswar Behera Minister Singhkhuntia revealed that anti-depredation teams have been deployed in every Forest division to manage the monkey problem. These teams are actively engaged in driving away monkeys that cause disturbances in human settlements.
Singhkhuntia also mentioned that the squads are equipped with ultrasonic monkey repellents to scare the animals away. In areas identified as sensitive, ‘monkey squads’ have been formed, with experienced members of the ‘Mankadia’ community being enlisted to capture the troublesome monkeys.
Wherever necessary, problematic monkeys are tranquillized and relocated to distant forests. The Minister emphasized that efforts are being made to educate the public about not feeding the animals to prevent further issues.
Addressing concerns about crop and property damage caused by elephants, Singhkhuntia stated that special teams are also deployed in affected areas to drive the pachyderms back into the forests. Additionally, the government is installing solar fencing in areas prone to elephant incursions under the ‘Jan Suraksha Gaj Suraksha’ scheme. The scheme provides a 50 per cent subsidy for individual beneficiaries and a 10 per cent subsidy for groups, he added.
