Allahabad High Court Directs Committee To Act With Urgency On Monkey Menace

In a significant nudge to Uttar Pradesh’s administration, the Allahabad High Court has pulled up the State for its prolonged inertia and ordered a newly formed 13-member High Powered Committee to swing into immediate action to control the escalating monkey menace. A division bench of Chief Justice Arun Bhansali and Justice Kshitij Shailendra minced no words while directing that the Committee must not remain “on paper only,” underscoring the Court’s growing exasperation over bureaucratic buck‑passing.

A Crisis of Inaction
Despite unanimity across departments that monkeys—specifically the Rhesus Macaque—are creating havoc for citizens, no agency stepped forward to own the problem. At a September 2025 hearing, the Court had expressly noted, “Each department is seeking to shift the responsibility to another.” The State’s own admission that the issue requires a “policy decision” was met with a rebuke: the Court observed that a mere proposal from the National Board of Wild Life to include the species under Schedule II of the Wild Life (Protection) Act was being used to project “a sort of helplessness” . The bench trenchantly added that “the proposal is sought to be utilized for the purpose of continuing with the inaction” .

From SOP Skeletons to a Concrete Plan
When the State finally produced a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) in April 2026, the petitioners were quick to point out gaping holes. Their counsel argued the SOP “only provides for skeleton and all the limbs are missing” , referring to the absence of facilities for sterilization, trained manpower, and transportation infrastructure. Agreeing that the SOP did not address “vital requirements,” the Court directed the government to examine a detailed action plan suggested by the petitioners. That examination was to be carried out by a properly constituted committee—not as a cosmetic exercise, but as an elaborate review.

The New Committee’s Mandate
On July 16, 2026, the State informed the Court that a 13‑member committee had been constituted a day earlier, tasked with studying the suggested measures and proposing a comprehensive strategy. Urban local bodies have also been instructed to continue catching, transporting, and releasing monkeys from urban pockets. Meanwhile, the Wildlife Institute of India—originally commissioned to prepare a long‑term mitigation report—has been asked to expedite its work and provide a short‑term strategy as well. The State assured the bench of its “commitment to prepare a sustainable long‑term plan” .

Quotes That Echo the Bench’s Frustration
The Court’s anxiety is best captured in its own language:
- “It is expected of the Committee to hold meetings at regular intervals and should not remain on paper only.”
- “Though all respondents agree that monkey menace does exist … none apparently is prepared to take the responsibility to control the said menace.”
- “The submissions made/attempt on part of the respondents, cannot be appreciated.”

What Lies Ahead
The High Court has made it clear that it will keep a close eye on the Committee’s progress. The minutes of every meeting and a status report must be laid before the bench on the next hearing date, September 1, 2026. Additionally, the Principal Secretary of the Urban Development Department—newly impleaded as a respondent—has been directed to spell out how municipal bodies will discharge their statutory duties under the Uttar Pradesh Municipal Corporations Act, 1959 and the Uttar Pradesh Municipalities Act, 1916. The judgment sends an unmistakable signal: administrative lethargy in the face of a public health crisis will no longer be tolerated. For the residents of Uttar Pradesh grappling with monkey‑driven chaos every day, the Court’s forceful intervention may finally move the wheels of governance.