India, March 19 -- AGRA Elaborate security arrangements have been set in motion across Mathura and Ayodhya ahead of President Droupadi Murmu's three-day visit starting Thursday. While authorities are prioritising cleanliness and traffic arrangements to ensure the programme remains smooth, the UP forest department has stepped up measures to tackle the monkey menace in Vrindavan and Govardhan, with langur cutouts placed at vulnerable points to deter monkeys, officials said on Wednesday.

Besides, 'van rakshaks' (forest guards) will keep an eye on simians, which are in abundance in the Braj region. Earlier, langurs were pressed into service, but with animal rights activists protesting captivity of monkeys, the idea of cutouts has been deploy...