(IN): Mizo villagers face hunger as rats ravage fields

August 18, 2008

*Mizo villagers face hunger as rats ravage fields

* RATU (MIZORAM), Aug 17 – Sangkhawli and other farmers of this picturesque

village in Mizoram will continue to face food shortage with almost no hope

left to salvage their early paddy crop and having already lost their maize

harvest to rodents.

Ratu village, about 130 km away from the capital Aizawl city, inhabited by

458 families, is now facing acute shortage of food as the 392 families,

totally dependant on agriculture, after losing all the maize harvest have

lost two-thirds of the early paddy harvest.

Sangkhawli, a lady in her late 60s, told PTI that she expected to harvest

2,100 kg of un-husked rice this year, but her dreams were dashed to the

ground after armies of rats ate up the paddy before they were fully ready

for harvest.

" We could not salvage even one kg of rice, she lamented.

Sailianthuama, the village council president, also said that the villagers

lost all the maize harvest and were struggling to salvage what was still

left by conducting mass poisoning of rats and using traditional traps like

'Vaithang'.

Ratu villagers killed tens of thousands of rats with rat poison and traps,

but the rats like the army seemed to be regrouping and prepare for further

attacks in an attempt to finish all the crops, village council member

Sangkunga said.

Sangkhawli said that after losing all hopes in her paddy fields, she

expected the government to help the farmers.

" The State Government provided us with free ration and the opportunity to

earn money through the NREGS and if the help continued we will not starve, I

hope, " she said.

The situation is the same in nearby Pehlawn village where they lost around

80 per cent of maize harvest and in Sesawng where the farmers' loss of maize

is between 70 to 90 per cent.

F Kaikhuma of Sesawng village said that the rats ate not only maize but also

other crops like yam, ginger, chili and cucumber and were now turning to the

stems of the early paddy. – PTI

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