Conceding defeat to monkeys,MCD says can’t catch them

The civic agency claimed that dealing with the monkey menace is the subject matter of the Wildlife department of the Delhi government.

The main reason for their failure,the MCD said,is the shortage of trained monkey catchers. It said despite several advertisements in the newspapers,there were very few responses from skilled monkey catchers.

“In spite of all the efforts,only one monkey catcher has turned up… to undertake this work. This in turn has resulted in a lot of difficulties in dealing with the monkey menace… and,in turn,compliance with the High Court orders,” reads the application moved before a bench headed by Acting Chief Justice A K Sikri.

Seeking modification to the 2007 order,MCD counsel Madhu Tewatia said the MCD did not have sufficient trained monkey catchers and was compelled to hire untrained hands.

The MCD also informed the court that from the date of the court order till December last year,they caught and relocated 12,850 monkeys to Bhatti Mines. It said the government did not offer any help.

The application said the relocation of the monkeys has led to problems for people living near the Bhatti Mines.

The bench admitted this application and sought replies from the government as well as other parties concerned.