DJ Venkatesh
Diglipur, Mar 12: After a series of complaints from farmers the Agriculture Department has finally initiated measures to get rid of rodents. The field Rat Bandicota sp. is badly damaging the field crop and resulting in huge loss to the farmers, shopkeepers, household goods, of various villages of Diglipur Sub Division.
Subhashgram, R K Gram , Khudirampur and Madhupur is worst effected apart from other six villages.
The farmers themselves adopted various measures for the same in last few years but all seemed to be failure. CARI also announced two years ago that 90% of the rat problem solved by them, which seems to be incorrect now. As per the sources it is believed that the agriculture department estimates of more than One Lakh rats burrows found, which are creating the problem. In every village farmers are complaining about damage of crops & stored items.
To overcome the situation already the literature on rodent control has been circulated but in spite of adoption of all the management practices the problem still persists and spreading in larger areas in above mentioned villages.
In view of the above facts, the Department of Agriculture, Diglipur organized a massive campaign namely ‘Rodent Eradication Campaign’ by means of community based approach. It involves the farmers, farmer’s friends & Staff of Agriculture Department. The areas covering are Subhashgram, Diglipur, R K Gram, Khudirampur, D B Gram, Rabindrapally, Madhupur, Laxmipur, Keralapuram & Sitanagar village. Technical guidance and baiting materials are being provided by the Agriculture Department.
About 10 teams carrying this operation along with the help of the farmers. From 5th Mar, 2014 to 10th Mar, 2014 the team Identified live burrows than sealed the burrows with mud and counted the live burrows.
Pre-baiting is being held between 11th Mar to 13th Mar, 2014. Baiting with Zinc Phosphate will be held on 14th Mar at 4.00 PM and Removal of bait & Proper disposal of rodents will be held on 15th Mar, 2014. On 21st Mar 4 PM for the left out rodent repeat baiting will be held and removal of bait from the fields & proper disposal will be held on 22nd Mar, 2014 at 5.00AM.
Unconfirmed reports says that about 2000kg rice, 3 truck load of Husk & Coconut shell, Coconut oil/ groundnut oil, Disposable spoon polythene bags are procured for this mass campaign.
To oversee the ‘Rodent Eradication Campaign’, Mr. U.K.Nayak , plant protection Officer and Mr. S.C.bairagi, Technical Assistant of Central Integrated Pest management Centre, Port Blair assisting the Agriculture Department.
This is one part of the campaign but lot of shopkeepers and farmers complaining the rodent menace are increased sharply from last few years. The rats are so big that Mouse traps won’t work and glue boards so costly that they fail to change every day. Most Drains, which are flowing in front of shops in Diglipur, are filled with Rat Bandicota. An officer of the Agriculture Department, who does not want his name to be quoted, told Andaman Sheekha that initially they never thought that this menace will be so serious.
No other departments apart from CARI and CIPMC are involved in this Operation. The Hospitals are just intimated about this campaign as Zinc phosphate is being used in this. If the agriculture gets success in this operation it will be effective to control in fields and farmers home only. But the rat menace will remain same in other parts of the Diglipur. This is one time campaign by residents fear that next year again this will spread and the Agriculture department will have to fight with this again.
Instead of this, the whole A & N Administration, Health Department, Agriculture , CARI & CIPMC should work out together to eradicate else there is no use of these type of one time campaign.
People of Diglipur are getting worried now as if nothing is done now tomorrow bigger health problems will hit Diglipur. PRI members and politicians are least interested in this issue as they are busy with coming elections.
