Efforts on to free Kerala village from hazardous African snails

Kozhikode, Jul 29 (UNI) Efforts were on on a war-footing to contain ever increasing army of African snails, which virtually invaded a Kerala village, destroyed crops giving the inhabitants sleepless nights.

Volunteer squads have been formed to dug up deep pits to bury mollusk species invaded Azhiyoor village in the district bordering Mahe, part of Union Territory of Pondicherry, panchayat president A T Sreedharan said.

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

Giving details of the operation he said pits were being dumped with layers of snails with salt and salt is spread on top of the heap as suggested by Centre for Plantation Crop Research Institute and Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) to elminiate 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. They are found clinging on trees or compound walls in during day and attacks after sun set.

Sreedharan said the snails come out after dusk and destroyed banana plants, topioca, trees, cactus, compound walls and cement plastering making villagers' life miserable.

Unable to give a denite account about how the species landed up in the village, ZSI scientist Rajmohana, who visited the area, said the snails or its eggs might have arrived alongwith agricultural products imported to the area.

Citing revelations made by the villagers she said they first saw snails in a house compound where trucks laden with onions usually parked.

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.

Also known as Ahatina Fulica in scientific jargaon, African snail with a size between 7 to 20 cms and identified as one of the world's worst invasive spices, is usually found in Kenya and Tanzania.

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