Rodent outbreak affects 15 villages & hamlets in Mizoram’s Mamit dist | Guwahati News
Aizawl: An outbreak of rats in the wake of ‘Thingtam’ or famine, triggered by the gregarious flowering of bamboo species called ‘Rawthing (Bambusa tulda)’, has been reported from 15 villages and hamlets in northwestern Mizoram’s Mamit district, bordering Bangladesh and Tripura.District agriculture officer (DAO) of Mamit district Ngurrinsanga Sailo told TOI over the phone from Mamit on Sunday that the rodent outbreak has been reported from Phuldungsei, Kawnmawi, Lallen, Saithah, Rulpuihlim, Khawrihnim, Reiek, Lungphun, Kanghmun, South Sabual, Hmunpui, Pukzing, West Phaileng, Parvatui and Pukzing vengthar villages.“District agriculture officials have been sent to majority of the villages to educate the farmers and village council leaders on how to use rodenticide. Rodenticides are also distributed to the farmers where reports of rodent outbreak are received,” Sailo said.He said rodenticide consignments have also been sent to village council leaders of remote villages with instructions due to an acute shortage of manpower at the DAO’s office.Heavy monsoon rainfall has resulted in rapid weeds growth in the jhum cultivation areas, making the paddy fields more vulnerable to rodent attacks, as it has become difficult for farmers to clear weeds from their jhums, the DAO said.Earlier, last week, an outbreak of rodents was reported in two villages in south Mizoram’s Lunglei district — Mamte and Lungrang South — with swarm of rats leaving trails of destruction in the paddy fields while causing damages to the soybean cultivation.
