Efforts on to destroy African snails

Kozhikode, July 29: Efforts are on to contain the increasing number of African snails that invaded a village and destroyed many crops giving the villagers sleepless nights.

Panchayat President A T Sreedharan said volunteer squads have been formed to dig deep pits to bury the ''mollusk species'', which invaded the Azhiyoor village.

Special squads were formed for the two worst hit Azhiyoor Chungam and Anchampeedika wards, he added.

Giving details of the operation he said pits were being dumped with layers of snails and salt was spread on top of each layer as suggested by Centre for Plantation Crop Research Institute and Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) inorder to eliminate it.

He said, it was not an easy job to destroy the species, which lay 100 to 200 eggs at a time. However, he said the squads made much progress by burying an estimated 70,000 snails during the last six days.

A delicacy in Africa, this rare snail, usually found in rivers, has become an environmental hazard in Azhiyoor village.

Mr Sreedharan said the snails, which move around after dusk, had destroyed many crops including banana plants and tapioca.

Unable to give a definite account about how the species landed in the village, ZSI Scientist Rajmohana, who visited the area, said the snails or its eggs probably arrived alongwith agricultural products imported to the area.

Mr Sreedharan said a similar phenomenon was reported from Chittoor in Palakkad district and Koilandi in Kozhikode a few years ago.

He said steps were being taken to give adequate compensation to farmers, whose crops were damaged.

Usually found in Kenya and Tanzania, the Africa snail, scientifically known as ''Ahatina Fulica'', grows to a size between 7 to 20 cms. It is identified as one of the world's worst invasive species.

UNI