Caterpillars devour paddy fields.

KALAHANDI/SAMBALPUR, July 25: A huge pest attack on large tracts of farmland have acted as the proverbial last straw on the camels back for the farmers here, crippling their economic condition.

Vast stretch of paddy fields in Kalahandi and Sambalpur districts have been gripped by swarms of caterpillars called Leda Poka in local dialect. These caterpillars have created a panic among the farmers, as they are known to wipe out large areas of farming lands in their destruction spree. The caterpillars are known to keep underground during the daytime and feed on the crops at night. According to agriculture department sources, all the 13 blocks in Kalahandi have been affected …