A fresh rodent outbreak in Mizoram has forced hundreds of jhum farmers to battle crop destruction even as scientists warn of possible disease transmission, particularly scrub typhus, which is endemic to the state. Teams of zoologists from Pachhunga University College (PUC) in Aizawl have now begun an intensive study to track the scale of the outbreak and assess the health risks linked to the rodent population.
The investigation is being led by Prof. Lalramliana, who has dispatched multiple field teams from the Zoology Department to villages reporting heavy infestation. The zoologists are collecting samples to determine the dominant rodent species and whether they are potential carriers of scrub typhus, a disease transmitted by mites found on rats. Health experts have long cautioned that Mizoram’s rodent population plays a significant role in the spread of this disease, which continues to claim lives in the state every year.
According to officials, the outbreak has been reported in 45 villages of Mamit district, along with two villages in Lunglei and one in Saitual. Nearly 800 farmers engaged in shifting cultivation—primarily of rice and soybeans—have reported crop losses. Current estimates suggest that rodents have already damaged around 158 hectares of farmland out of 2,500 hectares under cultivation. The majority of losses have been reported from Mamit district, which borders Tripura and Bangladesh, where 769 farmers across 45 villages are facing severe damage.
Experts attribute the sudden rodent surge to the flowering of Bambusa tulda, a bamboo species locally known as Thingtam, which undergoes a natural cycle of flowering every 46–48 years. The phenomenon is expected again in 2025 and is known to trigger rodent population explosions due to the abundance of seeds. Historically, bamboo flowering has coincided with large-scale crop destruction and outbreaks of famine-like conditions in Mizoram.
To mitigate the impact, the State Agriculture Department has begun distributing rodenticides free of cost to affected farmers. Deputy Director of Plant Protection, Lalrindiki, said that teams have been dispatched to demonstrate safe use of rodenticides and conduct awareness campaigns in villages. “We are training farmers on scientific methods of rodent control while ensuring safety in handling these chemicals. The department is also running mass poisoning drives in the worst-hit areas,” she said.
This is not the first time Mizoram has faced such a crisis. In 2022, a rodent attack damaged crops across nine districts, leaving farmers dependent on state relief. Earlier in 2007, the flowering of another bamboo species, Melocanna baccifera, devastated agriculture and led to famine-like conditions. However, timely intervention by the central government and preparedness of the state helped avert large-scale loss of human life.
