Tamil Nadu: Rice weevil infestation from Dharmapuri warehouse hits 2,000 residents; officials promise action

Increasing rice weevil infestation in the Tamil Nadu Warehousing Corporation building has left residents of Bharathipuram in Dharmapuri municipality distressed, as the pests are affecting the nearby residential areas.

Located at the end of the 66-feet road in Dharmapuri, the 15,000 sq metre warehouse stores about 10,000 tonnes of rice for use under the public distribution system. The stock is stored here temporarily, and is then moved to Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporations as required. However, as the summer heat has increased, the warehouse has become a breeding ground for rice weevil, a pest which lives off polished rice.

For the past few weeks, these pests have been moving into residential areas in Bharathipuram, Vennampatti and other areas, impacting at least 2,000 residents.

Speaking to TNIE, V Sumathi from Bharathipuram said, “These rice weevils are a menace as they constantly enter our homes and contaminate rice and water. There is really no way to control these pests, and the only way to keep the spread in check if the TNWC steps in and improves its annual fumigation.

The heatwave in the district has boosted the reproduction of rice weevil, and immediate efforts should be taken to control these bugs.”
N Anandh Natrajan, another resident, said, “For nearly two years, we have not had this pest problem as the Central Warehouse Corporation did not store the rice. Now, the TNWC has started storing rice here and the pest problem has risen.

The TNWC was set up nearly 35 years ago, when the area had no more than 100 houses. Now, there are over 2,000 houses here and every house is infested. The warehouse must be properly fumigated or moved to keep the residents safe.”

V Uma, a resident of 66-ft road said, “Children are most affected by these pests as they crawl into the ears or fall into the eyes, causing allergies. Immediate action must be taken to control this pest menace.”

When TNIE reached out to officials in the Dharmapuri administration, they said, “No complaint has been filed in this regard. However, we will look into this issue.”

This article has been republished from The New Indian Express.