Monkey Menace a National Problem, Comprehensive Action Plan Needed: Anurag Thakur

Anurag Thakur raises the issue of monkey menace in Lok Sabha under Rule 377, demands a National Action Plan

Cites losses of ₹2,200 crore in Himachal over seven years, mentions daily attacks on citizens

Former Union Cabinet Minister and Member of Parliament from Hamirpur Lok Sabha constituency, Mr. Anurag Singh Thakur, termed the serious and long-neglected problem of monkey menace a national crisis and demanded immediate and coordinated central intervention while speaking in the Lok Sabha under Rule 377.

Mr. Anurag Singh Thakur drew the attention of the House to the massive devastation being caused by the uncontrolled monkey population across the country, especially in agrarian states. He pointed out that in Himachal Pradesh alone, farmers have been forced to abandon cultivation on over 70,000 hectares of arable land. The annual crop loss in the state exceeds ₹500 crore, and the total damage to agriculture due to monkey attacks between 2017 and 2024 is estimated at ₹2,200 crore. This figure clearly highlights the severity of this crisis, which has been ignored for far too long.

Apart from the economic devastation, Mr. Anurag Singh Thakur highlighted the serious threat posed by the monkey menace to human life and safety. Citing district-level data from Himachal Pradesh, he said that in a single district, approximately ten people are being bitten by monkeys every day. Children, women, and the elderly are the most vulnerable to these attacks, and people in monkey-affected areas are living in constant fear and stress.

Speaking on the root causes of this crisis, Mr. Anurag Singh Thakur identified the 1978 ban on monkey exports as the root of the problem, which led to an uncontrolled increase in the monkey population that was never properly managed. Furthermore, widespread deforestation has destroyed natural habitats, the decline in predator species has eliminated natural control, and in the absence of any coordinated national policy, states are struggling with this challenge alone.

Mr. Anurag Singh Thakur said, “Today, the monkey menace has become a national crisis. Our farmers are being forced to abandon their fields. Our children, women, and elderly are facing attacks every day. States cannot fight this battle alone. The central government must immediately come forward with a credible, humane, and scientifically-based National Action Plan.”

Mr. Anurag Singh Thakur urged the Government of India to formulate a comprehensive National Action Plan on human-monkey conflict, in consultation with monkey-affected states. He demanded the adoption of large-scale sterilization programs and immunocontraception techniques as humane methods of population control, along with habitat restoration efforts.

Mr. Anurag Singh Thakur demanded a standardized, time-bound farmer compensation framework to provide immediate relief to those suffering agricultural losses, as well as the establishment of community-based crop protection support systems at the grassroots level. In his submission, Mr. Anurag Singh Thakur called upon the government to allocate dedicated budgetary funds for this purpose and issue clear directives to state governments for the time-bound implementation of scientifically validated and humane monkey control measures. He emphasized that this is not merely a state-level administrative matter, but a national issue requiring a national-level solution.