Gaighat, October 30

Hundreds of trees of mainly saal species have started to dry up in the national and community forest in Udayapur due to an outbreak of armyworms.

The outbreak was first reported about eight months ago and has so far got a host of robust saal trees dry up in the national and community forest from Mainamaini to Katari’s Lekhani in Udayapur.

“The outbreak has mostly affected saal and saaj trees. As the pests eat away leaves, the same might have led to the drying up of trees,” said Division Forest Office Udayapur chief Bishnu Acharya.

He informed of a consultation with the expert team to ascertain the cause of the problem. “We’re coordinating with the forest office concerned and the Central Investigation Centre of the Forest Department,” he said.

Division Forest Office said a study to collect the data of the dead trees had started.