Allahabad HC Questions UP Urban Development On Rising Monkey Attacks

The Allahabad High Court asked Uttar Pradesh’s Urban Development Department to explain what steps local bodies take to manage the surge in monkey attacks across Ghaziabad and other districts.

A bench of Chief Justice Arun Bhansali and Justice Kshitij Shailendra hears a petition filed by Ghaziabad residents Vineet Sharma and Prajakta Singhal and notes that departments continue to shift responsibility while citizens face daily attacks.

Observing that municipal bodies function under the Urban Development Department, the court orders the state to add the department’s Principal Secretary as a party to the case.

The petitioners’ counsel, Akash Vashishtha and Pawan Tiwari, inform the court that almost all districts are grappling with the same issue.

They cite press reports showing that in Kaushambi, Prayagraj, Sitapur, Bareilly and Agra, monkeys destroy crops, endanger children in schools and confine residents indoors out of fear.

Petition Highlights Public Safety Concerns

The petition states that after monkeys were removed from the protected list under the Wildlife Protection Act, they became the responsibility of municipal corporations and councils.

It argues that these civic bodies must ensure public safety and calls for an immediate action plan, creation of veterinary facilities and rescue vans, relocation of monkeys to forest areas and a 24-hour helpline portal.

The Ghaziabad District Magistrate submits an affidavit saying he has already written to the Urban Development and Environment Departments on August 20, 2025, recommending guidelines and standard operating procedures.

The High Court fixes the next hearing for 31 October, signalling that the state will have to present concrete measures to curb the crisis before the bench reconvenes.

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