Siliguri, 01st July: The recent outbreak of caterpillars in Ward No. 24 of Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) has caused great inconvenience and irritation among the residents of Uttar Bharat Nagar, Siliguri. Frustrated by the situation, the residents took to the streets, armed with kerosene and sticks, in an attempt to address the issue.
According to reports, the area is densely populated with trees along the roadside, which have now transformed into a mini forest, leading to a surge in the population of caterpillars. The infestation has sparked panic among the residents, particularly concerning the health and well-being of the elderly and children. The situation has been ongoing for the past five days.
In response to the crisis, local resident Soumitra Sarkar stated that they had already informed the ward’s local councillor about the issue, but no effective solution was provided. As a result, they reached out to the Mayor of SMC today.
During a telephonic conversation, the ward councilor and Chairman of SMC, Pratul Chakraborty, addressed the situation and emphasized that killing the caterpillars would be illegal. Hence, a different approach needs to be taken to tackle the issue. He further mentioned that the SMC has been working on resolving the problem since Friday, and as an initial step, the nearby forests would be trimmed to minimize the caterpillar population.