Peren, Jul 6 :Hordes of rats and grasshoppers are ‘feasting’ on rice and vegetable fields in most areas of Peren district in Nagaland, which is deepening public fears of a famine among the local populace.
A village elder of Lamhai-dungki village under Peren district returning after killing a slew of rodents as part of the ‘Rodent Killing Week.’ The phase is being observed by the Nagaland Bamboo Development Agency (NBDA) from June 30 to July 5, to stop rampaging rodents that is increasing abnormally due to bamboo flowering in the district. (Morung Photos/Zakir Hussain)Harvests including rice, maize and vegetables are being ‘cleaned up’ by rodents following an abnormal increase of their population, fed by the bamboo flowers. However, the Nagaland Bamboo Development Agency (NBDA) which had carried out the Herculean task of creating awareness among the farmers on the bamboo flowering in the district in the recent past, is now advocating and observing ‘Rodent Killing Week’ from June 30 to July 5. During this week, each farmer will be rewarded with Re. 1 for each killed rodent.
Besides, the most affected villages like Old Jalukie, Lamhai-dungki and Gaili were also provided with mechanised red-traps, glues (‘No Rat’) and bamboo charcoal production kilns to kill rodents. The officials of the NBDA confirmed that it is the ‘Bambussa Tulta Variety,’ which is flowering in the district.
Today, the nine district in-charges of NBDA along with their subordinates visited the three most-affected villages to take stock of the situation and to encourage the farmers to eliminate more rodents to save granaries and paddy fields. The villagers are rewarded with cash for killing the rodents.
In-charge of NBDA for Kiphire, Er. LY Thangstar said this exercise has been carried out to ascertain the level of disaster that has been caused by the rodents. Terming the bamboo flowering and subsequent rampage of rats as a ‘threat,’ he said some measures should be taken to solve the problem or it may become a disaster or famine like-situation. He also admitted that the district might face a Mizoram-like situation. Mizoram is today facing shortage of food.Thangstar urged for a joint effort from the agri and allied and food supply departments to control this threat. He cautioned that once the food supply of the district is over, the rodents will migrate to other districts in search of food which will further aggravate the situation.
“There will be a joint meeting with the Agriculture Production Commissioner and the meeting will decide what will be implemented as the next step” he said. He assured that NBDA will continue to monitor the situation and will explore new strategies to face this rodent menace.
Rodent Killing Week:
Rs. 1 per Rat
Officials of the NBDA also pointed out that, rodents multiply at a very rapid pace after eating the protein-rich seeds that appear soon after bamboo-flowering. Rodents can give birth within a span of 19 days.
Shakiba Yimchunger, the Tuensang district in-charge of NBDA, said bamboo production will be affected. Bamboo takes about 7 years to attain maturity, he said.
Er. P Lungalang, Peren district in-charge of NBDA, said the threat would cut down the economy of bamboo rich areas. He also informed that 34 bamboo charcoal production kilns have been set in the district.
Old Jalukie Village
Chairman Hainkieng said bamboo flowering is happening twice in the village. While thanking the NBDA for its tireless support, he however said it is impossible to cut down all the bamboo in the village since the area ‘is fully covered with bamboo.’ He also said that the rodent population has been increasing very rapidly has become impossible to kill them all at once. He said that the rats are of 3 to 4 different sizes, and the same as well in the case of grasshoppers and other insects.
Hegiebaube, an elder of the village, said the flowering is occurring after a gap of 50 years. He however, said there are no reports of deaths due to famine as other villagers are helping the affected village with food grains. The village killed altogether 1045 rats on July 4, and is still waiting for other villagers to turn up from their fields.
Dunkgilamhai Village
Farmers of the village said they kill the rodents during nights using torch lights since it is difficult doing so during day time. The rodents can even climb up maize. The villagers here have killed more than 2, 000 rats with groups of villagers divided into 20 to 30. Dunkgilamhai villagers are worried about the bamboo flowering trend.
Gaili Village
The Gaili villagers have also confirmed the increase of rodent population in the village resulting into paddy fields including maize being ‘cleaned up’ by rodents.
The 9 district In-charges of the NBDA who toured the three affected villages are Er. P Lungalang of Peren, Vila of Kohima, Imsu of Mon, Dr. Vikato of Dimapur, Er. Kumzuk Jamir of Mokokchung, Er. LY Thangstar of Kiphire, Kenye of Phek, Er. Kughato of Zunheboto and Shakiba Yimchunger of Tuensang.
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