Of blooming bamboo, rats and famine fears in Mizoram (FEATURE)

Dec 4, 2006, 3:15 GMT

Aizawl, Dec 4 (IANS) When Thanglura, a 47-year-old farmer in Mizoram, saw his paddy field devastated by rodents, he knew he was in trouble. He also knew that the 50-year-old itch of bamboo flowering had once again set in.

Thousands of rats have rampaged paddy fields in the state over the past few days, fuelling fears of a famine in the region. Even though agriculture officials have ruled out famine they could not deny the failure of paddy crop.

The report of rats destroying farmlands in several villages follows vast forests of bamboo bursting into flower in many parts of this northeastern state.

Farmers of Champhai district, 194 km from here, are the worst hit with 17 villages battling with the multiplying rodents that have attacked their crops.

'Countless numbers of rats raided our paddy crops during night time, 90 percent of our soon to be harvested rice was gorged by rats. I was expecting at least 15 quintals of rice harvest from my early paddy, which we called 'Naga Rice'. Out of fear that they would devour all what I have sowed I harvested the remaining before they were even ripe and somehow I managed to pull in around 15 kg,' wailed Thanglura from Hualtu village in Serchhip district, 100 km from here.

According to Mizo legend, when bamboo flowers, famine, death and destruction follow. Behind the superstition lies the scientific truth: blooming bamboo triggers an invasion of rats, which eat away food supplies.

'Rats multiply at a very rapid pace after eating protein-rich seeds that appear soon after bamboo flowering,' said James Lalsiamliana, assistant plant protection officer of the state's agriculture department.

Lalrinmawia, village council president of Hualtu village, said their crops did well compared to last year, but only till the rats attacked the harvest.

'We are counting on the government to take measures, or else we are doomed,' he said.

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.

Thangbawii, a 97-year-old grandmother, anticipated the worse. 'I have witnessed two flowerings in my lifetime, if I live long enough to see another one, I have a feeling it's going to be the worst,' she said.

The rats have started attacking even the early paddy. 'In the last bamboo flowering, the rats left the early paddy but this year they're attacking everything,' Thangbawii said.

The rodents have already attacked more than 60 hectares of paddy fields across the state and with elders anticipating more to come, farmers in Mizoram have a bleak future.

Historical accounts say Mizoram recorded a famine in 1862 and again in 1911 after the state witnessed similar bamboo flowerings.

Bamboo grows wildly in 6,000 sq km of Mizoram's total geographical area of 21,000 sq km. The state, bordering Bangladesh and Myanmar, harvests 40 percent of India's 80-million-tonne annual bamboo crop.

© 2006 Indo-Asian News Service