Bhubaneswar: In a bizarre incident, thousands of millipedes have invaded Athagadpatna village in Kabisuryanagar of Ganjam district making life difficult for people in the area. According to reports, these worms invaded the village all of a sudden and have spread rapidly giving sleepless nights to the locals. They are now found everywhere – homes, shops, and in the open near the Kali temple road in the area.
Local residents said that the worms were first detected in an abandoned drain. Their numbers multiplied as the waste in the drain increased manifold within a brief period. Stagnant water in the drains in the area has only added to the problems of the villagers.
A local resident Panchanan Behera said, “The worms are coming from the drain and are now found everywhere. They are now invading our homes and shops.”
Another villager, Balakrushna Nayak said, “The fields are now filled with wastewater and they have now turned into breeding grounds for such worms.” He apprehended that the invasion by the worms may soon infect the villagers and make the children and elderly vulnerable to various diseases.
Meanwhile, the local health supervisor Sashank Sekhar Mohanty, who visited the area on Thursday, said, “There has been a rise in worms in the area due to stagnation of wastewater. We will take steps to clean up the area.”
Block Development Officer (BDO), Tanmay Patra said, “The sparpanch and others have apprised us about the situation. We will discuss the issue with the block technical team and initiate necessary measures to get the area free of worms.”
