GEYZING,: Farmers in the villages surrounding Geyzing are grappling with a severe monkey menace. The monkeys are destroying their crops, especially corn, leading to substantial losses during the current harvest season.
Villages such as Upper Kyongsa, Byadung and Tikutam are the most affected. A troop of more than 30 monkeys has been regularly rampaging through the cultivated areas, devouring and destroying everything in their path. From vegetable gardens to cornfields, the monkeys have left nothing untouched. Many farmers have reported severe losses, not only financially but also in their motivation to continue farming.
“My entire cornfield was emptied by monkeys recently. Only corn stalks were left behind. It's a waste of time to engage in farming as monkeys devour everything without any desired yield or return,” a farmer from Upper Kyongsa lamented.
Another farmer expressed similar frustrations. “Growing crops feels like offering free food to the monkeys,” he stated.
The farmers find it nearly impossible to guard their fields against these large groups of monkeys, which can appear at any time of the day.
“I tried everything; stayed throughout the day at my cornfield to chase monkeys, tried scarecrows, and engaged dogs to ward them off, but nothing worked. Somehow, they (monkey) always find a way to sneak into the farm,” a disgruntled farmer shared.
When asked if the affected farmers had sought help from Forest department, they said that they had reported the issue multiple times. However, apart from receiving monetary compensation for their losses, no concrete steps have been taken to address the problem.
The monkeys are not only causing damage to farmland but also raiding and ransacking nearby homes when residents are away. They have been known to steal valuables and food items. Recently, a monkey took a bag containing important documents from a household, though the bag was later recovered.
The presence of a large simian population also poses a threat to school-going children who use routes frequented by monkeys. Although no incidents of monkey attacks on humans have been reported so far, residents fear that such incidents may occur in the future given the growing monkey population.
"It is scary to let our children roam around alone with the monkeys around. These monkeys have become so bold that they hardly get scared in our presence," a concerned woman said.
The villagers want the issue of monkey menace to be addressed in a proper way by the concerned department. They believe that capturing the monkeys and relocating them to a suitable natural habitat could be an effective solution. Affected for a long time, the villagers are hopeful that the Forest department will take effective steps to resolve the issue.
