Govt urged to check pest menace in Charoi Pandongba village
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, July 16 2021:
Youth's Forum for Protections of Human Rights (YFPHR) on Friday expressed concern over pest attacks on crops and fruit-bearing plants in Charoi Pandongba village and sought the help of the department concerned.
YFPHR, in a press release issued on Friday, stated that the Forum conducted a field visit on July 14 with regard to the attacks on the crops, fruit-bearing plants and even on human by insects like caterpillar and other unknown insects in Charoi Pandongba village.
The village having around 200 households has been facing such insect attacks for the last two to three months and the villagers are worried as it is the first time they are experiencing such pest attacks.
They have lost vegetation due to the insect attacks resulting in withering of plants especially the beans, fruits like lemon, banana and paddy leaves which could lead to shortage of food.
The insects also cause serious infection on skin causing itchiness, rashes and drying up of skin, it said.
One of the villagers, Ashen Paomei said that this could be due to impact of climate change because they have never experienced it before and the villagers are losing stream water, which he attributed to cutting down of trees for many development projects like railways and others.
He appealed to the departments of agriculture, horticulture and environment and ecology wings to intervene in the matter.
YFPHR also urged the departments of agriculture, horticulture and environment and ecology wings to urgently dispatch a fact finding team to take stock of such negative impact of climate change which could lead to food shortage.