Crawlies’ invasion forces migration

AHMEDABAD: This tiny village, about 60 km from here, is under siege. The only primary school has declared a mid-term vacation. And, nearly half of the 6,000 population has migrated!
Reason: Millions of centipedes have surfaced in Lavad village out of nowhere making life hell for villagers. The creepy crawlies have invaded kitchens, homes and schools.
 

The village panchayat was forced to close the school for the time being. "We closed classes after centipedes were found in the kitchen where mid-day meal is prepared," says village sarpanch Ushaben Chauhan.
She says certain pockets like Rawal vaas and Harijan vaas have been completely vacated.
The state government too has initiated action to curb the menace. "We have asked veterinary doctors to visit these areas. A report on the phenomenon will be prepared while we take action," says M A Gandhi, district development officer of Gandhinagar.
In the meanwhile, the villagers are holding fort by sprinkling tobacco power, an indigenous method to get rid of the insects.
Vikramsinh Chauhan, a resident, says, "One has to walk over hundreds of insects on the village road. We have been having our meals in the open because we can't go in."
Another resident, Govind Rawal, says, "This started a few days ago. We thought it was a one-off thing but the numbers kept increasing with each passing day."
Jagabhai Gondabhai, who has a oneyear old daughter, has shifted his entire family to his fields lest the insect enter the infant's ears and nose.