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Journalism of Courage
NEW DELHI, April 27: Following a report in Express Newsline, the Ministry of Environment and Forests has decided to make alterations in the cages being built for monkeys at Rajokri village. These 10 cages, being constructed at a cost of Rs 6.5 lakh, were found to be defective and 8220;cruel8221; for the animals who were to be placed in them. The monkeys were to be translocated from urban areas where they have been a menace for years.
A group of officials from the ministry, with Iqbal Malik, an environmentalist also part of the project, visited the area on Sunday and agreed to make the required changes.
Now the cages are to be divided into three sections 8212; the first will be for the monkeys to be tested. The second one will be for those suffering from worms and the third for those suffering from TB, a very common disease among urban monkeys. The worm-infected simians will be treated and released in nearby reserve forests after 20 days, whereas the ones suffering from TB will be kept for a much longer time. While working out the project earlier, the officials had not taken into consideration the fact that some monkeys might have to be quarantined.
It has also been decided that the pucca floor of the cages will have to be removed. Plants will be grown on a large scale both in and around the cages. Also, to make the inhospitable surroundings a little friendly, water ponds will be constructed inside the cages.
The plans to build a road next to the cage have been shelved. Also, the cages will be interlinked, so that the monkeys are free to roam around in the entire row of cages.
With this rethinking of the project by officials, it has been temporarily stalled.
