No more monkeying around: Civic body

Good news for Mumbaikars who have been facing a monkey menace. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is planning to float tenders to appoint separate agencies to catch the troublesome apes. In addition to this, if one is bitten by them, they can get treated with injections at cheaper rates.

The decision to float tenders was taken on September 9, during a meeting of the civic body’s apex committee, which has officials from all utilities including MTNL, traffic and NGOs WORSPA and Consumer Guidance Society of India as its members, besides fire brigade personnel.
“We will chalk out the details on when we can issue the tenders. As for making the injections available at cheaper rates at civic healthcare facilities, we will hold parleys over the same during future meetings,” said additional municipal commissioner, Aseem Gupta.

Afzal Mohammed, general secretary of WORSPA – which has been pursuing the matter for three years now – said availing civic personnel to catch apes will go a long in way in helping people and also the monkeys that enter human inhabited areas in search of food. They will be rescued and sent to safer places.

“From our experience, we know that fire brigade personnel refuse to tend to complaints about monkeys entering such places, stating that it is beyond their jurisdiction. Later when the forest department is approached, it is too late as the monkeys have already caused a nuisance by then. To deal with the issue, we have been following the matter up for a timely response to get rescue workers by the BMC soon,” he said.

Also, the NGO wants the BMC to make injections for treating those bitten by monkeys available free of cost.
“One has to spend Rs5,000 at private facilities to get treated when bitten by a monkey. Not everyone can afford it,” Mohammed added.

A monkey menace has been reported in several areas like Mulund, Vikhroli, BARC Colony in Trombay and BMC’s water complex in Bhandup.