Shimla: Four persons were killed, 45 injured and one rendered permanently disabled in separate incidents of attacks by wild animals from April 11 to July 31 in Himachal Pradesh, state Forest Minister Thakur Singh Bharmauri informed the Assembly during Question Hour on Wednesday.
Replying to a question of Maheshwar Singh (HLP) in Vidhan Sabha, the minister said that?97 incidents of attack on domestic animals were also reported in which 203 animals were killed.
Compensation amount of Rs 9,75,053 was payable in case of attack on human beings, out of which Rs 4,84,530 had been paid while the balance amount of Rs 4,90,523 was yet to be disbursed.
Similarly, compensation amount of Rs 5,72,250 was payable in case of animals killed in attacks by wild animals and?Rs 2,48,750 had been paid, while payments amounting Rs 3,23,500 are pending.
Later replying to a discussion on situation arising out of damage and loss caused to life and property due to attack by?monkeys and wild and stray animals, the minister said human-Animal conflict and imbalance in food chain was responsible for it.
To combat monkey menace, eight sterilisation centres have been set up at?Tutikandi (Shimla), Sastar (Hamirpur), Gopalpur (Kangra), Baul?and Ishpur (Una), Sarol (Chamba), Salapar (Mandi) and Paonta Sahib (Sirmaur) and 96,709 monkeys had been sterilized upto August 16.
He said that keeping in view the growing monkey menace in the state, the government?had urged the Union government to lift the ban on export of monkeys and declaring the "vermin", but the Union government had asked for specific proposal in specific areas.
The minister said the census of stray animals was conducted in 2012 and their number was 32,130 and the government has formulated a policy under which action would taken against?the owners, who abandoned?the animals after they stop yielding milk and rendered?useless.
