G20 Summit: Langur cutouts spring up in Delhi near event sites, here's why

City authorities are taking steps to deploy langur mimics and put up cut-outs of the simians at vantage points to scare away monkeys during the G20 Summit in the national capital.

The unchecked population of monkeys has led to their ever-increasing numbers across the city, including in New Delhi areas (Lutyens' Delhi), with the animals loitering around and often attacking and biting people.

In view of this, the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and the Forest Department of the city government have taken steps to ensure that monkeys are not allowed to play spoilsport during the important G20 summit, to be held from September 9-10.

"All the important sites, including the main venue of the Summit, hotels where foreign dignitaries and delegates would be staying are being covered to ensure the monkey hordes are not visible there during the event," a government official said.

An official said over a dozen cut-outs of langur were placed strategically in areas, including Sardar Patel Marg, that are heavily infested with monkeys.

He said apart from other problems, the monkeys have damaged plants and flowers that were part of horticulture landscaping for the G20 Summit by different agencies.