G20 Summit Threatened: India Deploys Monkey Deterrents to Prevent Disruption

Authorities in the Indian capital of Delhi are taking all measures to scare away large flocks of aggressive monkeys from the G20 summit venues, PTI reports.

To this end, life-size images of grey langurs have been placed in various locations to scare away smaller monkeys. Langurs are an aggressive type of monkey with long tails and dark faces. They are usually led by specially trained guides who release them when they see other monkeys.

The uncontrolled growth of the monkey population has led to a steady increase in their numbers across the city, including in areas of New Delhi (Delhi Lutyens) where the animals roam around and often attack and bite people.

So the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and the city government's Forest Department have taken steps to prevent the monkeys from spoiling the big event. 

There are also plans to engage people trained to imitate the animal's sounds. Local authorities hope that these steps will prevent the animals from disrupting the summit.

Also on the eve of the G20 summit, the Delhi police banned flights in the city on aircraft such as paragliders, hang gliders and balloons from 29 August to 12 September for security reasons.

India will host the G20 leaders' meeting on 9 and 10 September. Presidents and prime ministers from around the world are gathering for the annual G20 Leaders' Summit in the Indian capital of New Delhi.

The main theme of this year's meeting is sustainable development. The Russian war in Ukraine is also expected to be discussed.

The G20, or Group of Twenty, is a club of countries that meets to discuss plans for the global economy.

The G20 countries account for 85% of world economic output and 75% of world trade. They are home to two-thirds of the world's population.

The members are the European Union and 19 countries - Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States. Spain is always welcome.

Some G20 member countries - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - have formed a separate group called the BRICS.

A smaller group of G20 members is known as the G7.