Sarita Jamwal
UDHAMPUR, Sept 15: If it was militancy earlier which forced people to leave their homes, it is now monkeys who have made life miserable in several villages of Udhampur.
Monkey menace looms large at number of Udhmapur villages for the last five years. Thousands of monkeys are making themselves comfortable in villages of Cheryai , Muttal, Sunderani and Jib, Kauh nallah ,Kaghote, Ramnagar , Chenani and Majalta of Udhampur district forcing , residents to migrate due to fear .
Out of 11 agriculture zones in udhampur district situation is grim in 100 villages of district where monkeys have made 877.67 lakhs loss to farmers during the year 2011-12 making situation worse for them . The residents lodged complaint to the administration, forest deptt and MLA concerned several times, who washed its hands off from the problem saying it is the forest or wildlife department's duty to apprehend the monkeys and they could not do much.
Talking to Early Times, Sudesh Kumar and of Ramnagar said that due Monkey menace in villages people are forced to stay inside their homes . They attack people and injure them. The incidence of biting has increased. He said that every year they work hard to yield good crop but monkeys destroy everything which is great concern for them.
He added that agriculture offered loan to farmers but Monkey menace did not allow them to take great risk as they spare nothing in fields making great loss to them
Rajinder Singh of Cheryai village of Udhampur said that in the last two years, more than hundred families in the Cheryai village, have already migrated and some are planning to migrate as Monkey every year destroy crops and fruits in the area. Majority of farmers had left their land holdings uncultivated due to fear of monkeys .There are still some 400 people in the village who are offering resistance to these monkeys. But none in the village is advised to walk alone and without a stick. |
