Filing a public interest litigation in the high court to decide on whose responsibility it is to catch the monkeys coming out on streets and in human habitats, is the only option feel city activists.
Filing a public interest litigation in the high court to decide on whose responsibility it is to catch the monkeys coming out on streets and in human habitats, is the only option feel city activists.
According to them, the lack of trained tranquilliser dart users in the city is also something which needs to be addressed with utmost urgency. The issue does not have a convincing answer mainly because of the concerned government agencies passing the buck.
When DNA called chief fire officer Uday Tatkare, he said that fire brigade is not responsible for catching the monkeys on the street.
“You should ask this question to forest department,” he said.
But the forest department has a totally different version of the story.
“In the past, we used to get monetary grants from the government to arrange for special monkey catchers. But now the grants have been stopped. So we have been told from above to ask the municipal corporation to catch the animal. If the government restarts the funding, we will resume that work,” said TN Patil, range forest officer, Mumbai. He added that sometimes the darts prove fatal for the animal, hence that practice is avoided as far as possible.
DNA had printed two articles describing how the agencies failed to respond when Chembur resident PK Naik tried to help an ailing monkey. Later, a number of NGOs and activists contacted DNA to explain what prevented them from catching such animals.
Sunish Subramaniam of Plant and Animal Welfare Society, Mumbai, said that the monkey being a schedule 2 animal, NGO activists could face the forest department’s ire if they catch the animal. “To avoid legal consequences, the activists choose not to get involved,” he said.
The issue was also raised in the civic body’s apex committee meeting in 2009. “Even at that time no final decision was taken.
Whether it is the fire brigade’s or forest department’s responsibility, we have no clear idea, because each government agency is ready to blame it on other. Filing a PIL remains the only option right now to decide whose responsibility it is,” said Mohammad Afzal, an RTI activist and a committee member.
“We do not have animal catchers at our hospital. We can only treat the ailing ones when they are brought to us by NGOs or forest officials,” said Col (Dr) JC Khanna, secretary, Bai Sakarbai Dinshaw Petit Hospital for Animals, Parel.
According to Afzal, the fight between the agencies affects the animals as well as people. “If an authority takes a call on this, then and only then can the problem be solved. And once it is, issues related to lack of trained dart users will get solved too,” he added.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}