GUWAHATI: The Assam Forest Department may roll out a sterilisation programme for monkeys across the state to address the growing menace of damage to homes, agricultural fields and horticultural plantations caused by simian populations, Environment and Forest Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah announced.
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Alongside the monkey sterilisation initiative, Baruah outlined a series of measures aimed at reducing human-elephant conflict in the state. These include the allotment of dedicated elephant corridors and zones, to be secured with a combination of solar-powered fencing and bio-fencing, in an effort to minimise encounters between elephant herds and human settlements.
The minister also announced an enhancement in compensation for victims of elephant attacks. Ex-gratia compensation for loss of life in elephant attacks will be raised from ₹4 lakh to ₹6 lakh per victim, with the amount to be released directly by the Deputy Commissioner (DC) concerned to ensure faster disbursal. On every bigha of crop damaged, the farmers get 8,000 directly from the DC.
The announcements come amid rising incidents of human-wildlife conflict across Assam, with both elephant and monkey encroachment into human habitations posing a growing challenge for the Forest Department. Officials said further details on implementation, including how the sterilisation drive will be carried out on the ground, will be made public after the SOP consultations conclude later this month.
The minister said a detailed Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the solution of human animal conflict will be published on July 22, following consultations with local MLAs, department officials, local people of affected areas and animal welfare experts to ensure the programme is implemented in a scientific and humane manner.