Delhi High Court Calls For 'Public Awareness Campaign' To Inform Citizens How Feeding Is Not Benefitting Monkeys
Image By - Pallab Seth
The Delhi High Court has recently told the civic agencies in the national capital what they must do to make the citizens here aware of how feeding is not benefitting the monkeys.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela observed that feeding harms animals in various ways by increasing their dependence on humans and reducing the natural distance between wild animals and humans.
“We believe that people of Delhi have inherent wisdom and they will change their behaviour if they realise that feeding wild animals is inimical to animal's welfare as well as human well being,” the court said.
It added that the civic agencies should carry out a sustained year-long “public awareness campaign” to inform the people of Delhi how their feeding is not benefitting the monkeys.
On waste management, the bench said that open garbage littering in public parks, food hubs, dhaba and canteens etc. attracts the monkey populations, thereby increasing human-animal conflict.
“If citizens of Delhi want to live in safe environment, they will have to adopt and not litter food around. This aspect too needs to be highlighted in public awareness campaign which should be undertaken by civic agencies,” the bench said.
It directed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) to prepare and implement a programme to deal with the monkey menace in the national capital.
“The MCD and NDMC shall also ensure that monkeys are shifted from public parks, hospitals, government offices and residential areas and rehabilitated in Asola-Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary, New Delhi,” it said.
The court was dealing with two PILs filed in 2015 by two NGOs- Nyaya Bhoomi and The Society for Public Cause, concerning the issue at hand.
The matter will now be heard on October 25.
Title: NYAYA BHOOMI v. GOVT. OF NCT OF DELHI AND ORS. and other connected matter