Caterpillar attack hits 2,400 ha of flood-hit paddy in Charaideo, Sivasagar

Farmers in Upper Assam who lost crops, homes and livestock to this year's floods are now facing a second blow: a large outbreak of swarming caterpillars in their paddy fields.

The infestation has spread across nearly 2,400 hectares of paddy in Charaideo and Sivasagar districts, The Sentinel reported on Tuesday, citing agriculture officials.

Charaideo worst affected

Charaideo district has been hit hardest, with around 1,600 hectares of paddy affected. In Sivasagar, more than 750 hectares have been damaged, weeks before the crop was due to enter its flowering stage.

Among the worst-hit pockets named by agriculture experts are Kamal Chapori, Bamunpukhuri, No. 1 Chintamoni Garh and Nepali Khuti in Sivasagar district, and Disang Pani in Charaideo. Field reports suggest more remote villages have also suffered serious damage that has not yet been formally recorded.

Rizvi Hazarika, District Agriculture Officer (in charge) of Charaideo, said swarming caterpillars can wipe out paddy across large areas overnight. He said this year's attack was particularly severe because the floodwaters carried larger numbers of caterpillars into the fields.

Floods set the stage

Floods in July swept through both districts as the Dikhow and Disang rivers overflowed. As the water receded, it left behind conditions in which the pests could breed and spread quickly.

Residents of areas such as Nepali Khuti said they had little warning when the water rose and lost much of what they owned within hours. For many families, the paddy now under attack was meant to help them recover from those losses.

Pesticides and advice for farmers

Local agriculture teams have been sent to the affected areas to distribute emergency pesticides and advise farmers on how to contain the spread. Communities have also called for a scientific assessment of the damage and of the wider ecological changes that followed the floods.

The outbreak adds to the strain on farm households in Sivasagar, where officials have separately estimated that thousands of hectares of farmland were buried under thick layers of flood silt and need clearing before cultivation can resume.

Farmers who notice caterpillar damage are generally advised to contact their nearest agriculture development officer quickly, as early spraying gives the best chance of saving the crop.

NEInsider will update this story if the Agriculture Department announces a crop-loss assessment or compensation.