Farmers Allege Monkey Menace Is Destroying Crops in Chandausi Village

Farmers in Akrauli village of Baniyakheda Block, Chandausi, are struggling with what they describe as a serious monkey menace. A troop of monkeys is damaging mustard, vegetables, wheat and other rabi crops in the village fields every day, leaving farmers to face heavy financial losses.

Farmers say the monkeys enter the fields in groups and badly damage the crops. A picture from the village shows a troop of 5-6 monkeys entering a green field, trampling, uprooting and destroying the standing crop.

Farmers spend months growing their crops after putting in hard work, money, fertiliser and water. However, they say the monkeys destroy that effort within moments after entering the fields.

The problem has also forced farmers to spend much of their day guarding their fields. Rural residents said the monkey menace continues from morning to evening. The animals enter the fields as a group and lay waste to the crop.

The situation has become so difficult that going to the fields alone is now challenging, according to the villagers. They also said that, on several occasions, monkeys have tried to pounce on and attack children and women.

Farmers said they have to carry sticks and clubs and remain in the fields throughout the day to protect their crops. This has affected their other work and livelihoods completely. Some farmers are even being forced to sleep in the fields at night to keep watch over their crops.

The villagers said they have informed the Forest Department and the Block administration about the problem several times. However, they said that no concrete action has been taken so far.

The farmers have appealed to the Forest Department to send a team at the earliest to catch the monkeys. They have also demanded a survey of the crop damage and compensation for the losses suffered.

The villagers said immediate action is needed because the monkey groups continue to enter the fields and damage the crops. For farmers in Akrauli, protecting the standing mustard, vegetable, wheat and other rabi crops has now become a daily struggle.

Report by Rajat Malhotra.