From network security to clean energy resources, Smart City planners have a lot on their plates. So spare a thought for those in Dharamshala who are having to deal with a unique problem as they try to get their town accepted as one of India’s first 20 Smart City projects: monkeys.
Yes, our simian friends are apparently causing havoc in Dharamshala, stealing food and attacking tourists. The solution to date has been rather lo fi – stray animals are dumped in an empty cattle shed – but Sanjeev Saini, executing officer at the municipal corporation, told The Times of India that the city is working on “a smart solution in this regard”.
And they’re asking the public for their help, holding workshops and open meetings in a bid to find a workable solution to the problem.
“Monkey menace is still a concern for all,” Saini warns, poetically.