City authorities are taking steps to deploy langur mimics and put up cut-outs of the simians at vantage points to scare away monkeys during the G20 Summit in the national capital.
The unchecked population of monkeys has led to their ever-increasing numbers across the city, including in New Delhi areas (Lutyens’ Delhi), with the animals loitering around and often attacking and biting people.
In view of this, the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and the Forest Department of the city government have taken steps to ensure that monkeys are not allowed to play spoilsport during the important G20 summit, to be held from September 9–10.
“All the important sites, including the main venue of the summit and hotels where foreign dignitaries and delegates would be staying, are being covered to ensure the monkey hordes are not visible there during the event,” a government official said.
NDMC vice chairman Satish Upadhyay said the civic body will deploy 30–40 trained persons who can mimic the langur voice to scare away the monkeys.
“These trained persons are registered with us, and they have been hired as they are effective in scaring away monkeys by making sounds of langur. We will deploy one each at hotels where delegates would stay, as well as in places where monkey sightings are reported,” he said.
An official said over a dozen cut-outs of langur were placed strategically in areas, including Sardar Patel Marg, that are heavily infested with monkeys.
He said, apart from other problems, the monkeys have damaged plants and flowers that were part of horticulture landscaping for the G20 Summit by different agencies.
