Guwahati: A severe agricultural crisis is gripping Upper Assam as a massive infestation of swarming caterpillars sweeps through areas already devastated by monsoon floods. Agriculture experts, on Tuesday, have identified Kamal Chapori, Bamunpukhuri, No. 1 Chintamoni Garh, and Nepali Khuti in Sivasagar district, alongside Disang Pani in Charaideo district, among the worst-affected pockets.
Field reports indicate that several other remote locations have sustained severe crop damage but are yet to be formally documented by the authorities.
The 2026 Assam floods left Sivasagar and Charaideo reeling from widespread destruction. However, as the floodwaters from the Dikhow and Disang rivers receded, they left behind optimal breeding conditions for pests. The infestation has quickly spread across nearly 2,400 hectares of paddy fields. Charaideo has been hit the hardest, with approximately 1,600 hectares compromised, while Sivasagar has seen over 750 hectares of crops ravaged weeks before entering their crucial flowering phase.
“Swarming caterpillars can destroy paddy crops in vast areas overnight," warned Rizvi Hazarika, District Agriculture Officer (in charge) for Charaideo. "This year, the attack has been particularly severe because the flood carried bigger numbers of caterpillars into the paddy fields.”
For local farmers, the pest onslaught is a secondary blow after losing assets and livestock to the sudden summer deluge. Many areas, like Nepali Khuti, were entirely unprepared for the sheer volume of water that hit them in July.
"When the floods came rushing, everything washed away in a matter of hours," shared a resident.
Local agricultural teams have been deployed to distribute emergency pesticides and guide affected farmers on pest-containment strategies.
Local communities continue to call for comprehensive scientific assessments to address both the underlying environmental degradation and the worsening post-flood ecological imbalances