Odisha village swarmed by worms, administration assures action

A swarm of worms out of nowhere is causing severe inconvenience to the people living close to Kali temple road at Athagadpatna area under Kabisuryanagar block of Ganjam district.

It is over the past few days that the insects are making rapid inroads into the houses and shops of people, sometimes giving them sleepless nights.

According to local residents, the worms are coming out of an abandoned drain. There has been a rise in their number as the waste water is stagnant for several months owing to lack of proper discharge outlet.

“The worms are coming from the drain and are all over the main road, entering our homes and shops. I had to clean my shop thrice yesterday,” said Panchanan Behera, who runs a salon.

Balakrushna Nayak, another local resident said, “The field is now filled with waste water and it has now turned into breeding ground for such worms.”

According to Nayak, there is every possibility for infection or disease among children and the elderly due to these worms.

Following the allegations, the concerned health supervisor Sashank Sekhar Mohanty said, “Today, I had visited the spot and found that there has been a rise in worms due to stagnation of waste water. We will take steps to clean up the area.”

Kabisuryanagar Block Development Officer (BDO), Tanmay Patra said, “The sparpanch and others have apprised us about the situation today. The matter will be discussed with the block technical team for necessary steps soon after prior consultation with experts.”

(Reported by Manoj Muni and Pitabas)