NT Reporter
Margao
The sighting of the invasive Giant African land snail (Lissachatinafulica) in Chandor has left residents worried. They have sought immediate intervention from the Directorate of Agriculture and local self-government bodies to contain the spread of the invasive species.
According to local sources, the nocturnal pests have been sighted over the past few weeks, thriving in damp, overgrown vegetation during the monsoon. Residents have also reported damage to household kitchen gardens, local orchards and standing agricultural crops, including banana plantations and tender vegetable plants.
“We are finding these oversized snails everywhere on compound walls, inside porticos, and all over our crops. Standard household remedies are completely ineffective against this invasion,” a village farmer said.
Apart from crop damage, residents have also raised concerns about public health, stating that the mucus trails left by the snails pose a contamination risk, particularly for children playing outdoors, as the species is a known carrier of harmful parasites.
Villagers and members of the farming community have urged the Zonal Agriculture Office (ZAO) to carry out an immediate field inspection. They have also sought the supply of specialised chemical baits, bio-pesticides and limestone powder on a subsidised or emergency basis.
Residents further urged the Chandor panchayat to coordinate with the Goa State Biodiversity Board to undertake a community-wide eradication drive before the infestation spreads further.
