Shimla Monkeys, Stray Dogs Menace: Himachal HC directs for nationwide consultation

Shimla

As attacks and casualties by monkeys and stray dogs are on the rise in the Queen of Hills, Shimla, the Himachal Pradesh High Court on Wednesday directed for nationwide consultations to tackle the menace.

The orders were passed by a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice MS Ramachandra Rao and Justice Ajay Mohan Goel on a PIL and other such petitions, the HC PRO HR Sagar said.

Rao and Goel-led division bench has suo moto impleaded the Animal Welfare Board established by the Indian government, as a party, to tackle monkeys and stray dogs menace in Shimla and its surroundings.

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HP CJ Rao and Justice Goel directed the Board, Indian Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying through Secretary, Faridabad, Haryana to file suggestions to deal with the issue.

Besides, the court also advised HP Advocate General (AG) to consult other bodies such as Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, Tirumala, Chittoor district, and the Andhra Pradesh government on the issue.

The instructions to AG to consult Tirupati Devasthanams and AP government came as these bodies had carried out successful campaigns with scientific expertise in tackling the monkeys and stray dogs menace.

The AG has been instructed to file the report on the consultations by 17 July, the next date of hearing in the case.

It is worth noting that Municipal Corporation Shimla has already filed a compliance affidavit in the High Court.