These men are summoned by the New Delhi Municipal Council to spots, including the Parliament House, that come under the siege of monkeys. The 'langurs' suddenly appear from behind bushes and trees to drive away the simians through sounds and gestures.
On Thursday, urban development minister M Venkiah Naidu acknowledged through a written reply in Rajya Sabha that men have been posing as langurs to keep the monkey menace in check.
According to NDMC sources, the practice started after real langurs were barred from being kept in captivity. By all accounts, the human 'langurs' have proved to be effective in their new role.
NDMC sources said the men are paid Rs 700-800 per 'visit' and have not been hired permanently. They get work for around 10-15 days a month, earning anywhere between Rs 7000 to 10,000. They have even been hired by RWAs in the area.
In another strategy to keep monkeys within the forested areas, NDMC has started paying Rs 1.2 lakh every month to the forest department for procuring food for the animals. "The department places chickpeas, vegetables and fruits at different spots in the ridge on S P Marg so that the resident monkeys don't have to come out in search of food," NDMC chairman Jalaj Srivastava said.
"We signed this agreement with forest department about 15 days back. We took this step considering that the ridge doesn't have fruit bearing trees," he added.
NDMC sources said while it would take time for all monkeys in the area to return to the ridge, the 'langur men' would continue to do their job. These men are also armed with rubber bullets to drive away the simians.
Until last year, Delhi's streets were patrolled by actual langurs. But because of change in law in November 2012 this practice ended.
"These young men have trained themselves to pose as langurs. We have no option but to hire them because, as per law, even an officer who calls for langur and its master to drive away monkeys can be booked and jailed," said a senior official.
Monkeys, often moving in large groups foraging for food, pose a threat to people in the high security zone housing central government ministries.
"We are no more using air guns to scare away monkeys. Only rubber bullets are used. We also use electric strips which give out a minor shock to animals when they touch them. The monkeys are only stunned, not harmed in any other way. We are taking all possible steps to address the concerns of all parties and trying to ensure that monkeys stay inside the ridge," Srivastava said.
He added that NDMC was also considering issuing challans to those who keep bananas and other fruits on the roadside for monkeys to feed on.
Naidu also said that a team of dog catchers visits the Parliament House and surrounding areas twice a week for catching stray dogs are haven't been immunized or sterilized.
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