Rat-like creature triggers famine fears in Mizoram By Syed Zarir Hussain, Indo-Asian News Service
Aizawl, May 23 (IANS) Mizoram has offered cash rewards to villagers who capture dead or alive some big rat-like creatures that have been stalking homes and vegetations, triggering fears of a famine in this northeast Indian state. "The sighting of such weird rat-like animals the size of a cat is a bad omen and signals the outbreak of a famine," Agriculture Minister H. Rammawi told IANS. Tribal villagers have reported sighting several big rats along with rodents, which have been invading paddy fields and vegetable gardens in the past two weeks. "We are not sure if the big rats are actually rats or some unknown species. So we have offered cash rewards of Rs.1,000 to anybody who could get the animals dead or alive," said James Lalsianliana, an agriculture scientist with the Mizoram government. The mousy animal has so far managed to evade traps set up by locals. The Mizoram government has sounded an alert saying the state of under one million people was expecting a famine some time next year with vast forests of bamboo bursting into flower, triggering an invasion by armies of rats on granaries and paddy fields in the region. There is a saying in the tiny hill state bordering Myanmar and Bangladesh that when bamboo flowers, famine, death and destruction follow. Behind the superstition lies some scientific truth, as blooming bamboo can trigger an invasion of rats, which proceed to eat away food supplies. "It is not a myth or any superstitious belief to think that bamboo flowering signals famine. It is a stark reality and we have experienced and witnessed an outbreak of famine in the past under similar circumstances," Chief Minister Zoramthanga said. Bamboo, a giant tropical grass with hollow stems, does not normally flower. Agriculture scientists say bamboo flowers increase the fertility of rats. When this unusual phenomenon takes place, the rodent population goes up. The rats go berserk, feasting on everything that comes their way. In 1958-59, a famine in Mizoram resulted in the death of at least 100 people, besides heavy loss to human property and crops. The famine, locally known as mautam, broke out after the state witnessed the rare phenomenon of bamboo flowering and an increase in rodent population that started emptying granaries and destroying paddy fields. "Bamboo grows wild in at least 30 percent of Mizoram's total geographical area of 21,000 square kilometres," Lalsianliana said. Mizoram harvests 40 percent of India's 80-million-tonne annual bamboo crop. Agriculture Minister Rammawi said: "The rare phenomenon of bamboo flowering is a cyclical one and occurs every 48 years. So 2007 is the year when we expect a famine and there are early warnings already about the impending catastrophe." The government has asked locals to stock rice in safe places and is planning to sell large volumes of bamboo outside the state to minimise the losses. -- ---------------------------------------------------------- Frederick 'FN' Noronha | Yahoomessenger: fredericknoronha http://fn.goa-india.org | [EMAIL PROTECTED] Independent Journalist | +91(832)2409490 Cell 9822122436 ---------------------------------------------------------- Photographs from Goa: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fn-goa/popular-views/ _____________________________________________ Do not post admin requests to the list. Goanet mailing list ([email protected])
