NORTH LAKHIMPUR, April 29 - In what appears to be a massive environmental disaster, spraying of pesticides in small tea plantations has destroyed mature muga silkworms worth several lakhs in a Dhakuwakhona village in North Lakhimpur.
The disaster occurred in a shared �Somani� (muga host tree plantation) spread across 50 hectares of land at Kothalpora village under Dhenukhona-Batomari Gaon Panchayat of Dhakuwakhona Revenue Circle.
Pesticides sprayed in small tea plantations nearby a day ago has been blamed for the sudden death of the mature muga silkworms reared by around 100 entrepreneurs on that host tree plantation.
The destruction of the mature muga silkworms has caused a loss of approximately Rs 20 lakhs, if not more, for the muga silkworm-rearing farmers of the village.
In the meantime, the farmers led by their president Satish Gogoi and secretary Dibya Gogoi accused small tea planters Phuleswar Gogoi, Kancha, Budheswar Gogoi, Mina Gogoi, Hemanta Gogoi, Ruhiteswar Gogoi and two persons named Nitya Gogoi respectively for the destruction of the mature muga silkworms.
Today, a group of 39 farmers affected by the disaster filed an FIR against the small tea growers at Ghilamora Police Station.
