Paddy farmers in Pathanamthitta that houses the Upper Kuttanad rice bowl of Central Travancore region are a worried lot as armyworms have started devouring their well-nursed crop.
District panchayat member and Upper Kuttanad Nelkarshaka Samiti president Sam Eapen told The Hindu that not less than 500 acres of cropland in the Upper Kuttanad region have already been infested with the caterpillar locally known as Pattalappuzhu.
The armyworm menace is spreading fast in the already water-scarce Upper Kuttanad paddy fields, says Mr. Eapen.
The menace is spreading to the paddy fields in Kadapra, Niranom, Nedumpram, and Kuttoor panchayats.
Mr. Eapen said the speed at which these caterpillars were attacking crops in the region was unprecedented and is almost taken an epidemic proportion.
The otherwise water-rich Upper Kuttanad region is faced with severe water scarcity due to drying up of many canals and ponds.
Experts say this humid atmosphere is conducive for the rice swarming worms to flourish.
The mature larvae of the armyworm (Mythimna Separata) are three to four centimetre long and their migration is facilitated by the absence of standing water in the fields, says experts.
The caterpillar infestation is also severe in the paddy lands of Naduvathody, Narikuzhy, and Vettakkulam in Vallicaud panchayat near Pathanamthitta.
These areas too have been identified as highly water scarce.
There were also reports of infestation in the paddy fields of Vallamkulam and Kaviyur Puncha.
The armyworms are found hiding under soil clods and in cracks and crevices along the bunds of rice fields during the day time.
Officials of the Agriculture Department have inspected the affected areas in Vallicaud and Upper Kuttand.
Mr. Eapen has called for immediate intervention of the Agriculture Minister to reddress the grievances of the paddy farmers.
He said the Minister should visit the affected areas and issue necessary directives to the officials concerned to effectively address the menace on a war-footing.
