Imphal, August 12: Pressing the alarm button over the rapidly growing rodent population following the flowering of bamboo plants in Tamenglong district, the Development and Relief Project, Rongmei Naga Baptist Association has today stated that the rodents have started attacking the half ripened paddy which are not yet fit for harvest.

In a statement, the Association said that the main harvest of the jhum fields will start by the third week of August which will stretch on till September but now there is great apprehension that there will not be much paddy to harvest as the rodents have started attacking the standing crops.

Lamenting that the Government is yet to take up any perceptible action to fight the menace, the Association has appealed to all authorities concerned, the Church, NGOs and all philanthropic organizations to extend a helping hand and protect the fields and grain from the rodents immediately as any delay would spell disaster for the people of Tamenglong.

Even as apprehension of a famine is still rife, Agriculture Minister K Ranjit informed the House yesterday that the Government has taken up all possible measures to tackle the menace adding that traps and rat poison to tackle the rodents have been distributed to the farmers.

The Minister said this in reply to a question raised by MLA M Bhorot during zero hour yesterday.