The Union Government has acceded the demand of Himachal Pradesh Government, and declared Rhesus Macaque (Macaca mulatta) as vermin in 38 more tehsils of 10 districts of the State for a period of one year.
The tehsils included in the list are
Shimla District: Shimla Rural, Rampur and Nerwa
Solan District: Nalagarh, Kasauli, Solan and Darlaghat
Sirmaur district: Pachhad, Rajgarh, Renuka, Shillai and Kamrau
Chamba district: Chamba, Dalhousie, Bhatiyat and Sihunta
Kangra district: Nurpur, Indora, Fatehpur, Jawali, Kangra, Palampur and Baroh
Una district: Bharwain, Amb, Una, Haroli and Bangana
Bilaspur district: Ghumarwin, Nainadevi, Bilaspur Sadar and Namhol
Hamirpur district: Badsar and Bijhari
Kullu district: Manali, Kullu and Sainj
Mandi district: Sundernagar
As per the notification issued by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the forest areas of the State have been excluded from Schedule V of the Wildlife (Protection) Act.
The State Government has demanded the Government of India to declare Rhesus Macaque monkeys as vermin keeping in view the damage to life and property including large scale destruction of agriculture.
The decision will now allow to cull monkey scientifically, and will give relief from the monkey menace.
Earlier, the Union Government had declared monkeys as vermin for a period of six months within Shimla municipal limits excluding the forest areas.
