The Allahabad High Court has come down heavily on both the Uttar Pradesh government and the Centre for their continued failure to present a concrete and effective action plan to tackle the escalating crisis of human-monkey conflict in the state. Expressing deep frustration, the court made it clear that the "helplessness" projected by the authorities is unacceptable.
Court Rejects Government's 'Helplessness'
Hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) on Wednesday, a division bench comprising Chief Justice Arun Bhansali and Justice Kshitij Shailendra gave the government one final opportunity to comply with its directives. The bench set January 13 as the next date of hearing for the case. The PIL was filed by Ghaziabad residents Vineet Sharma and Prajkta Singhal, who highlighted the dual problem of growing danger to citizens and the suffering of monkeys due to hunger and poor living conditions.
The court's sharp remarks came after the state's additional advocate general presented a letter from the UP special secretary. The letter stated that the National Board for Wildlife's standing committee had recommended including the Rhesus Macaque under Schedule II of the Wildlife (Protection) Act and asked the UP government to prepare site-specific mitigation plans.
The bench, however, was utterly unimpressed. "What is this? How does it help the common man? How will it bring down attacks on people? The whole state is suffering, and you are saying you are helpless. We cannot accept this," the court remarked.
Assurances Fail to Convince the Bench
The government lawyer elaborated on the proposed measures, mentioning a planned baseline study across states and the development of scientific management strategies based on research by the Wildlife Institute of India. The plan also included recommendations for rescue centres and the involvement of local urban bodies.
Despite these submissions, the court remained unconvinced, noting that little to no action had been taken since its previous order on October 31. On that date, the court had refused to grant the state a two-month extension, allowing only four weeks to submit an action plan.
In its order, the court observed, "Willingness to tackle the problem is clearly absent... the same is sought to be utilised for the purpose of continuing with the inaction." It reiterated that the continued inaction by the authorities "is not acceptable."
Petitioners Highlight Grave Ground Reality
Akash Vashishtha, the counsel for the petitioners, argued that the Rhesus Macaque has always been a wild animal and should be scheduled under the Wildlife Act. He emphasized the statutory duties of municipalities and forest departments to abate nuisances and ensure public safety.
Vashishtha lamented the severe lack of coordination between the Centre and the state, stating, "But astonishingly, there is absolutely no consultation, no coordination between the Centre and states."
To underscore the urgency and severity of the situation, he presented newspaper reports detailing recent, violent monkey attacks. He cited that in Prayagraj alone, more than 25 people are bitten by monkeys daily. In a tragic incident in Ghaziabad, a collapsing wall, allegedly due to monkey activity, killed a woman on the spot and injured several others.
The court has now put the ball firmly back in the government's court, demanding tangible progress by the next hearing on January 13, 2024.
