Doomdooma: The Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Tinsukia, has raised an alert over the spread of invasive parthenium weed in some villages and organised a week-long awareness and eradication programme from August 16 to 22.
The programme focused on sensitising farmers to the weed’s impact on agricultural land, livestock and human health. It was conducted under the guidance of Hem Chandra Saikia, Senior Scientist and Head, KVK Tinsukia.
Awareness programmes were held at No. 2 Kopatoli, Dhola and Lakhipathar villages, where farmers were urged to remove parthenium from agricultural fields and surrounding areas.
KVK experts Priyanka Amonge, SMS, and Sarode Boruah, SMS, provided technical guidance on identifying, safely removing and managing the weed.
The experts cautioned that prolonged exposure to parthenium could cause skin irritation, respiratory problems and allergic reactions. They also highlighted its potential impact on livestock and agricultural production.
According to the experts, parthenium has recently been detected in some villages and is gradually spreading into agricultural fields. They stressed the need for timely eradication, particularly before the weed reaches the seed-setting stage, to prevent further spread.
As part of the campaign, informative leaflets on identifying, managing and understanding the harmful effects of parthenium were distributed among farmers.
The programme also stressed community participation and timely intervention to contain the weed’s spread and protect agricultural land, livestock and human health.