PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
The Municipal Corporation of Dehradun (MCD) concluded a three-day special drive held from April 9 to 11 under the third phase of its ongoing campaign against the monkey menace, during which six monkeys were safely captured from different parts of the city. Senior veterinary officer Varun Aggarwal said that the drive was launched following a rise in complaints from residents about nuisance and safety concerns linked to monkey movement in residential and public areas. Complaints received through the CM Helpline, email, toll-free number and the online grievance portal were addressed as part of the operation, Aggarwal said. He added that two monkeys were captured from Bangali Kothi, one from the railway station area, two from Tehri Colony and one from Khurbura.
Aggarwal said that the operation was carried out in coordination with the Forest department and followed humane capture protocols to ensure the animals were not harmed. The captured monkeys will be relocated and released in designated forest areas as per wildlife handling guidelines.
The capture operation within municipal limits was assigned to a contractor as part of the department’s field-level response mechanism. The contractor submitted GPS-enabled photographs as proof of operations for monitoring and which were verified by the MCD’s veterinary section.
He said that the sanitation inspectors, supervisors and veterinary vehicle staff supported the field teams during the drive and submitted daily progress reports to ensure coordination and transparency.
