MANGALDAI, Sept 13 - Along with rest of the ten districts of the State, the situation in the sali crop land, affected by rice swarming caterpillars or the armyworms, has also worsened in Darrang district over the last 24 hours. The affected area in the district on Tuesday has gone up to 572 ha in as many as 11 villages under Mangaldai and Pathorighat Agriculture Sub Divisions under Darrang Agriculture Department.
According to District Agriculture Officer Bhagawan Bharali, Darrang-Bhalukkhuwapara, Borthekerabari, Barkumarpara are some of the worst-affected villages under Banglagarh Agriculture Circle while Hatimuria, Satkholi, Dolora, Pukuripar are other worst-affected villages under Dumunichowki agri circle in Sipajhar.
Meanwhile, Amlan Barua, Commissioner and Secretary, State Agriculture Department on Tuesday visited the affected cropland at village Bhalukkhuwapara and assured the affected villagers of controlling it within a day or two.
Talking to this correspondent on the sidelines of his visit, he said, �Our officers and staff are ready to bring the situation under control and they have been working on a war footing and I am hopeful that the situation will be normal within a day or two.� Spraying of pesticides in all the affected paddy fields across the State are on and sufficient amount of such medicines are available in the Agriculture Directorate, he added.
Meanwhile, affected farmers of the locality including Mahendra Saikia, Baputi Bora, Lalit Bharali, Surendra Deka etc., demanded the Commissioner and Secretary, State Agriculture Department and the DC, Darrang to take necessary steps for proper functioning of the nearby deep tubewell irrigation scheme, which went defunct since last year, pushing cropland of around 100 ha into a drought- like situation for almost a month now.
Joint Director of Agriculture Jaimol Barman, District Agriculture Officer Bhagawan Bharali, Mangaldai Sub Divisional Agriculture Officer (SDO) Jyotish Nath, SDO (Jute) Iftikar Noory, Agriculture Development Officer Debo Kr Sarma also accompanied the Commissioner and Secretary.
