Lower Assam Research Articles

Challenges Faced by Women Folk Artists In: Lower Assam

ABSTRACT: The research aims to understand and assess the challenges faced by women folk artists in lower Assam. Assam is the land where people are born with the colours of their culture and stay with the aroma of their folk culture. Assamese folk culture holds the beauty of Assamese dance, music, drama and different cultural phenomenon. All the cultural practices and performances narrate the original scenario of Assamese society. Geographically Assam is divided into two parts that is: Upper Assam and Lower Assam. All these parts are culturally active and are melting their bonds with the uses and practices of their folk traditions and culture because folk culture represents the whole scenario of Assamese society. In Assam, both male and female artists perform their folk culture and they are the ones who develop their culture and maintain the traditional phenomenon. They carefully protect them as the owner of their culture so, both male and female artists play them very happily. Assam is a patriarchal society where females are always suppressed by their societal phenomenon. Also, in the culture female folk artists suffer many social and economic problems. This hampers their skills and affects their socio-cultural life and economic conditions. The objectives of the studies are as follows • To understand the concept of folk art and folk artists of Assam. • To analyze the problems of women folk artists in their socio-cultural life. In this study conclusions and suggestions are formulated based on primary data collected through the interview schedule.

Investigation of model forecast biases and skilful prediction for Assam heavy rainfall 2022

Extreme rainfall events (ERE) during the summer monsoon season have been occurring over most parts of India resulting in flooding and immense socio-economic loss. These extremes are becoming a frequent norm in the hilly and mountainous regions of the country such as Assam. Assam received one of the most historical EREs from 14–June 17, 2022. The present study analyses the performance of a suite of high-resolution ensemble model forecasts for this extreme event in terms of its intensity, and distribution with a lead time of up to 96 h. Furthermore, the 36 numerical experiments are carried out using two different land use and land cover (LULC) data sets (i.e. ISRO and USGS) and three different sets of parameterization schemes (i.e. planetary boundary layer, cumulus, and microphysics).Rainfall distributions in the case of USGS LULC are relatively less coherent and underestimated (60–260 mm/day) against IMD (80–300 mm/day) including the rainfall categories heavy (HR), very heavy (VHR), and extremely heavy (EHR) rainfall throughout the day-1 to day-4. Among all the ensembles (E1-E10), USGS (E6 - E10) has underestimated rainfall (140–260 mm/day) compared to ISRO (150–280 mm/day), specifically in MR and HR categories over the upper Assam (UAD) and lower Assam (LAD) divisions. Further, the Bias Correction Ensemble (BCE) technique is applied to minimize the forecast errors. A rigorous statistical analysis in terms of frequency distribution, Taylor diagram, and benchmark skill scores is carried out to elucidate the model biases. The set of the model ensembles using ISRO (E1- E5) and USGS (E6- E10) reasonably captured the HR, VHR, and EHR. In addition, throughout the forecast hour, BCE E5 (E10) is noted with the distinct realistic (underestimated) representation of model bias (5–20 %) (10–30 %) over all the subdivisions of Assam. Our results suggest that the combined efforts of ensembles of physical parameterization schemes, along with proper LULC, and the BCE approach are required to overcome challenges to improve the skills of rainfall events, particularly over complex terrains such as Assam.

Brahmaputra River Bank Erosion as a Major Geo-Environmental Problem in Lower Assam, India

Abstract The concepts as well as the methodological approaches for investigating geo-environmental pattern, process and problems in a region have been continuously getting their holds since few decades past to make them firm-footed in the contemporary trend of geo-environmental studies. The lower Brahmaputra River valley of Assam, like other parts of northeast India, stands amidst complex geotectonic and physiographic set-up because, of its hills, foothills and river plain topography. The state of Assam as a whole, eventually have been experiencing natural hazards like floods including flash floods, river bank erosion, landslide, etc. Out of which bank erosion heavily affects on the life and land properties of the peoples in affected area by completely damaging it. The river Brahmaputra has a tendency to shifting southward due to various geo-tectonic and seismic instabilities of the region. It is found that during the last 50 years nearly 100 sq km of the study area is eroded in the southern part of the district of Goalpara only. The intensity of shifting is very high mostly in the lower Brahmaputra valley including western margin of the districts of Goalpara, South Salmara Mankachar and Dhubri. The data derived from 14 cross sections along the selected points of lower Brahmaputra reveals that the average annual southward shifting of the river due to bank erosion is 109.14 m/year. Hence, bank erosion has been a serious problem, which is caused mainly by the seismic instability, stream bed rise-up, continuous sedimentation; Intense rainfall, etc. And eventually the phenomenon results into the loss of large tracts of fertile agricultural lands on both the banks of the river Brahmaputra in the study area. The present paper is an attempt to analyze the cause and consequences of Brahmaputra River Bank Erosion as a major geo-environmental problem with special reference to the bank line at Goalpara district of lower Assam in India.

A district-level geospatial analysis of anaemia prevalence among rural men in India, 2019-21

BackgroundDespite its considerable impact on health and productivity, anemia among men has received limited attention. In a country as diverse as India, characterized by extensive geographic variations, there is a pressing need to investigate the nuanced spatial patterns of anemia prevalence among men. The identification of specific hotspots holds critical implications for policymaking, especially in rural areas, where a substantial portion of India’s population resides.MethodsThe study conducted an analysis on a sample of 61,481 rural men from 707 districts of India, utilizing data from the National Family Health Survey-5 (2019-21). Various analytical techniques, including Moran’s I, univariate LISA (Local Indicators of Spatial Association), bivariate LISA, and spatial regression models such as SLM (Spatial Lag Model), and SEM (Spatial Error Model) were employed to examine the geographic patterns and spatial correlates of anaemia prevalence in the study population.ResultsIn rural India, three out of every ten men were found to be anemic. The univariate Moran’s I value for anaemia was 0.66, indicating a substantial degree of spatial autocorrelation in anaemia prevalence across the districts in India. Cluster and outlier analysis identified five prominent ‘hotspots’ of anaemia prevalence across 97 districts, primarily concentrated in the eastern region (encompassing West Bengal, Jharkhand, and Odisha), the Dandakaranya region, the Madhya Pradesh-Maharashtra border, lower Assam, and select districts in Jammu and Kashmir. The results of SLM revealed significant positive association between anaemia prevalence at the district-level and several key factors including a higher proportion of Scheduled Tribes, men in the 49–54 years age group, men with limited or no formal education, individuals of the Muslim faith, economically disadvantaged men, and those who reported alcohol consumption.ConclusionsSubstantial spatial heterogeneity in anaemia prevalence among men in rural India suggests the need for region-specific targeted interventions to reduce the burden of anaemia among men in rural India and enhance the overall health of this population.

Locational Suitability of Paschim Boragaon Landfill Adjacent to Deepor Beel Wetland, Assam

Deepor Beel, situated in the lower Assam region of Brahmaputra Valley, is a significant wetland that holds immense importance and is classified within the biogeographical region of the Burma monsoon forest. The beel acts as a crucial reservoir for storing water in Guwahati, aiding in mitigating the effects of flash flooding. The beel is endowed with luxuriant aquatic flora and fauna and maintains a well-balanced ecosystem. Nevertheless, the presence of the Paschim Boragaon Landfill in close proximity to the beel has raised concerns about the fragility of the biodiversity and ecosystem. The study was conducted to evaluate the appropriateness of placing a waste disposal site near a wetland and also how effectively did the Paschim Boragaon landfill adhere to the criteria specified in the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and Central Public Health and Environment Engineering Organisation (CPHEEO). The landfill's establishment has disregarded the prescribed regulations imposed by the relevant governing body, posing a significant threat to the soil, water, and environment. This situation flagrantly violates the Wetland Rules of 2010, leading to detrimental effects on the diverse features and biodiversity of the beel. The landfill's close proximity has directly or indirectly disrupted the beel's heterogeneous characteristics. Hence, an urgent relocation of the entire landfill is imperative to protect the beel and uphold the internationally renowned Ramsar wetland's biodiversity.

A Clinicopathological Evaluation of Oral Cavity Lesions and the Role of Cytokeratin 8/18 as a Marker in Oral Premalignant and Malignant Lesions: A Hospital-based Cross-sectional Study

Introduction: The oral cavity is affected by a wide range of pathologic lesions that may originate from squamous mucosa, salivary glands, mesenchymal structures and lymphoid tissue. Alterations in Cytokeratin (CK) patterns have been reported in oral potentially malignant and malignant lesions, and its expression is a hallmark of tumour progression. Aim: To evaluate different oral cavity lesions, with an emphasis on using Cytokeratin 8/18 (CK8/18) to differentiate between benign, premalignant and malignant lesions. Materials and Methods: The present hospital-based crosssectional observational study was conducted in the Departments of Pathology and Otorhinolaryngology, Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed Medical College and Hospital, Barpeta, Guwahati, Assam, India, from September 2020 to August 2021. A total of 93 biopsied or resected specimens clinically presenting in the Otorhinolaryngology Department with oral cavity lesions were submitted to the Department of Pathology, Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed Medical College and Hospital for histopathological examination followed by Immunohistochemistry (IHC) with CK8/18 in all the tissue samples as per IHC protocol. Age, gender, clinical presentation and sites of lesions were also assessed, as well as, histopathological evaluation and IHC. All data were collected, compiled and subjected to suitable statistical analysis, such as one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Fisher’s exact tests using International Business Machines (IBM) Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 28.0. Microsoft Office Word and Excel 2019 were used to generate graphs and tables. Results: The age of the patients ranged from 9-90 years and mean±Standard Deviation (SD) age was 52.69±15.81 years. Males, 59 (63.4%), were more commonly affected than females 34 (36.6%), with a male-to-female ratio of 1.73:1. Among the 93 various oral cavity lesions, 24 were located on the buccal mucosa, making it the most common site in our study. Of the 42 malignant oral cavity lesions, the most frequent was moderately differentiated Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC) with a frequency of 21 cases (50%), followed by well-differentiated SCC with 18 cases, including one case of Verrucous carcinoma. Poorly differentiated SCC was the least frequent, with three cases (7.14%). CK8/18 was positive in 33 of the 42 malignant cases, four out of the 20 dysplasia cases, and all the benign cases were negative for IHC of CK8/18. The maximal intensity of CK8/18 was seen in 13/21 (62%) cases of moderately differentiated oral SCC. Conclusion: In conclusion, the present study on oral cavity lesions in the lower Assam region highlighted the significance of clinical, histopathological and immunohistochemical evaluations, particularly with CK8/18 staining. A predominance of lesions on the buccal mucosa was found, with moderately differentiated SCC being the most common malignant type. CK8/18 expression showed a notable association with malignant lesions, especially in moderately differentiated SCC, suggesting its potential as a diagnostic marker. These findings contribute to a better understanding of oral cavity pathologies and may aid in early detection and management strategies.

Local earthquake tomography of the Cachar fold and thrust belt in lower Assam, Northeast India

Local earthquake tomography of the Cachar fold and thrust belt in lower Assam, Northeast India

Medicinal Plants used for the Treatment of Jaundice in Lower Assam Districts of North East India

Jaundice is one of the very common diseases affecting general people of Assam. Traditionally used medicinal plants are found to be very much effective for the treatment of various types of diseases including Jaundice. The common people of Assam are mostly dependent on herbal medicines for the management of jaundice. The main objective of the present study was to investigate the medicinal plants used for the management of jaundice. A field study focused on the uses of herbal plants by the jaundice patients was carried out among the peoples of few lower Assam districts of North Eastern region of India. This article describes various ethnomedicinal plant species used to cure jaundice by the people of Assam. Information on 30 plant species, plant parts used, local name and mode of utilization of the plant parts which are traditionally used against jaundice was recorded. Further investigations are required to explore the biological activity of different active ingredients of traditionally used medicinal plants.

Estimation of Serum Albumin Level and its Prognostic Significance in Scrub Typhus Patients in Districts of Lower Assam

Estimation of Serum Albumin Level and its Prognostic Significance in Scrub Typhus Patients in Districts of Lower Assam

Clinico-epidemiological Profile of Primary Brain Tumours in North-Eastern Region of India:A Retrospective Single Institution Study

Background: Brain tumours are mixed group of neoplasms originating from the intracranial tissues. The two basic types of brain tumours are primary and metastatic tumours. Very little is known about the epidemiology of primary brain tumours in the North-Eastern region of India. We carried out a 5-year retrospective study on the epidemiology of the primary brain tumour treated in our hospital.Aim: To study the clinico-epidemiological patterns of brain tumour in a tertiary care center in North-Eastern region of India. Materials and Methods: A retrospective epidemiological approach has been used. The records of patients registered in our hospital from 2017-2022 diagnosed as primary brain tumours have been selected. Data regarding age,sex,site of the tumour, histology, geographical distribution and treatment delivered have been collected. Results: Out of a total of 100 patients studied, males (68%) outnumbered females (32%) with a male:female ratio of 2.1:1. Frequency of brain tumours was found to be higher in the age group 31-40 years i.e. 23% compared to age groups 21-30 years and 41-50 years which were 18% and 15% respectively. Mean age was 38.23 years with ages ranging from 4 to 73 years. The most common presenting symptom was headache (53%), followed by vomiting (28%).The most common anatomical site was found to be cerebrum (81%), followed by ventricular and periventricular regions (6%). Supratentorial tumours (91%) were predominant over infratentorial tumours (9%). Histologically, the most common variety was found to be Glioblastoma Multiforme(30%) followed by Grade II Astrocytoma (15%) and GradeIII Astrocytoma (15%). Patients were mostly seen to be belonging to Lower Assam region (46%) . Among all the patients in the study, surgery was done for 90% of patients while 10% did not undergo surgery. 61% of the patients took radiotherapy and chemotherapy, 22% took radiotherapy alone, 7% defaulted treatment(drop outs) and 10% didn’t turn up for treatment. All patients received a radiation dose of 54-60 Gy. A total of 41 patients took adjuvant chemotherapy with Temozolomide. Conclusion: Glioblastoma Multiforme and Astrocytoma are the most common brain tumours in our study. Multimodality management including surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy is the cornerstone in the management of brain tumours.

Phenology of Eri silkworm Samia ricini (Donovan) in Lower Assam and its impact on upscaling eri seed production

Aim: A phenology study on the seed cocoon rearing performance of Samia ricini (Donovan) in different seasons of Lower Assam and subsequent production of disease-free laying was undertaken. Methodology: In each season, four batches of seed cocoon rearing were conducted on eri silkworms of Borduar race (n=100 dfls) which were reared only on the castor, the primary host plant, to eliminate the variability due to different host plants. The data on different seed cocoon rearing and reproductive parameters were recorded for every rearing and pooled season-wise for comparison. Results: The highest seed cocoon yield per dfl was recorded during autumn (215.92±6.24 nos) followed by winter/spring and late monsoon seasons. During autumn, significantly higher ERR% (90.69±1.01) was observed. Grainage operations conducted on the seed cocoons of various seasons revealed ideal dfl to cocoon ratio during autumn (1:3.5) and late monsoon (1:4.2). The percentage of moth emergence was significantly high in autumn (92.27± 2.90), followed by late monsoon (89.07± 5.38). Interpretation: Results evidently indicated that late monsoon and autumn seasons spanning from September to November months can be utilized effectively for large scale eri silkworm seed production in Assam. Key words: Eri silkworm, Phenology, Reproductive performance, Samia ricini, Seed cocoon rearing

First Report of 'Candidatus Phytoplasma solani' (16SrXII-A) Associated with Fox Nut (Euryale ferox Salisb.) Stolbur Disease in India.

Fox nut also known as Gorgon nut, Makhana (Euryale ferox Salisb.) is a high value aquatic crop belonging to the family Nymphaeaceae. In India, it is generally grown in flood prone areas of North Bihar, lower Assam, parts of West Bengal, Odisha, Manipur and Tripura (Jana et al., 2018). India contributes nearly 70-80% of the global fox nut production. During September 2021, a phytoplasma like symptom was noticed on fox nut leaves at Basudeopur Farm of Research Centre for Makhana, Darbhanga, Bihar, India (23° 9' N and 65° 53' E). The characteristic symptom was that some portion of leaf lamina deformed along the veins with wrinkled and raised overgrowth or hypertrophy. The veins were thickened and reddened in the infected leaf area. The infection occurs in petiole as well as in flower stalk. The disease incidence was found as high as 30% which caused severe yield loss which was calculated to be 40% in that particular field. Total of 20 sampled fox nut plants, 10 symptomatic and 10 asymptomatic ones, were collected and tested for the presence of phytoplasma. A nested PCR assay using the phytoplasma universal 16S rRNA primer pairs: P1/P7 followed by R16F2n/R16R2 (J. Jović et al. 2011) amplified the expected ~1.2-kb 16S rDNA fragment in all 10 symptomatic samples. No amplification was detected from asymptomatic samples. One of the ten 1.2-kb nested 16S rDNA PCR products was gel purified, cloned into the pGEM-T-easy plasmid vector (Promega, Madison, WI), and sequenced and was deposited in NCBI under the Accession no.OL873590. BLAST analysis showed that the sequence of the PCR 16S rDNA product was 100% identical to several GenBank sequences of Ca. P. solani (16SrXII Stolbur group) viz. KF907506. Furthermore, analysis by iPhyClassifier software showed that the virtual restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) pattern of the sequenced PCR 16S rDNA product is identical (similarity coefficient 1.00) to the reference pattern of the 16SrXII-A subgroup. Identification of 'Ca. P. solani' was conducted following the STOL11 stolbur-specific protocol (Radonjić et al. 2009). Sequencing of tuf gene (Elongation factor Tu) was performed by using tuf marker genes (Cvrković et al. 2014) from 10 symptomatic and 10 asymptomatic samples. Sequence of the amplified gene (896 bp) was deposited in GenBank under Accession number OM174272. The presence of 'Ca. P. solani' was detected in all symptomatic samples, while all control plants tested negative. The RFLP analysis of tuf gene nested PCR products using HpaII endonuclease (Fermentas) revealed uniform tuf-b type in all positive samples. Nucleotide blast analyses showed that the tuf gene was 100% identical to STOL11 strain of C. P. solani subgroup 16SrXII-A (Accession No JQ797670). For developing a suitable management strategy, identification of the vector is essential. Leaf hoppers visiting the infected plants as well as nearby crop fields will be tested for presence of the phytoplasma. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of Candidatus Phytoplasma solani' (16SrXII-A) infecting Fox nut (Euryale ferox Salisb.) in India. References Cvrković et al. 2014. Plant Pathol. 63:42. https://doi.org/10.1111/ppa.12080 Jana, B. R., et al. 2018. Int. J. Curr. Microbiol. App. Sci. 7(12): 578-587. https://doi.org/10.20546/ijcmas.2018.712.072 Jović, J. et al. 2011. B. Insectol. 64:S83. ISI Radonjić, S. et al. 2009. J. Phytopathol. 157:682. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1439- 0434.2009.01560.

Exploring the association among Hope, Self-Efficacy and Psychological Resilience: An Empirical Analysis on the flood victims of Lower Assam Division

Flood is a naturally occurring annual event in Assam. In the year, 1988, 2004 and recently in 2022, the Assam flood has brought a huge destruction to this riverine state. As the districts of Brahmaputra valley in Assam are often shocked by massive flood every year, it leaves victims with physical as well as psychological challenges. Since flood has become an inevitable feature in this state, people have no option left than being positive and resilient. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to find out the relation among hope, self-efficacy and psychological resilience which are considered as positive psychological traits. These are indispensable to fight with challenges and extreme situations. To carry out this research, a total of 200 sample are selected from four districts of Assam viz Barpeta, Darrang, Nalbari and Kamrup (R). The data have been collected through the help of standardized scales and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings are providing information for relevant intervention programs which can be carried out by counsellors, psychologists, mental health professionals and other para professionals to understand and mitigate the psychological challenges encountered by the flood victims of Assam.

Acoustic characteristics of variation in vowels in Assamese

This study provides an overview of acoustic characteristics of the vowel system in three regional varieties of Assamese. Recordings were made of 24 speakers producing the vowels /i/, /e/, /ɛ/, /ɑ/, /u/, /ʊ/, /o/ and /ɔ/ from a wordlist of 128 tokens. The speakers came from three locations in Assam, India: namely Lower Assam, Upper Assam, and Guwahati, and were balanced for region, sex, age, and education background. Acoustic analysis was conducted in Praat. First, the formant settings for male and female speakers were adjusted accordingly: 5500 Hz for female speakers and 5000 Hz for male speakers, where the vowel onsets and offsets were identified perceptually in the waveform, coinciding with the spectrogram in Praat. First and second formants were measured at the midpoint of the vowels for each of the 24 talkers, for a total of 9216 formant measurements. Formant measurements were then plotted on an F1xF2 chart using R. Findings show that Upper Assamese speakers had a high /ʊ/ production, while Lower Assam speakers had a low /ʊ/ in the acoustic space, while within Guwahati, more educated speakers produced /ʊ/ that was higher compared to speakers with less education.

Phytochemistry, antioxidant activity and traditional uses of Ipomoea aquatica Forssk among the people of Lower Assam, India

Naturopathy has gained popularity in recent years for the treatment of various health diseases, due to the numerous adverse side effects of synthetic medications. Assam in North-Eastern part of India is a great treasure of bio-resources, particularly for plant diversity and animal diversity, and has become a source of hundreds of medicinal herbs. Different tribal and non-tribal inhabitants of this area have knowledge about using of various plants as well as their products to heal a variety of health illnesses. Among these, Ipomoea aquatica Forssk is widely used among the Lower Assam ethnic groups. A survey study was conducted to validate the traditional therapeutic uses of Ipomoea aquatica Forssk in treating various health related disorders among the native people of Lower Assam. Further, an investigation in the laboratory was performed to examine the phytochemical components and the antioxidant activity of Ipomoea aquatica Forssk using standard methods. As the methanolic extract showed the best results, a GC-MS analysis was also performed in attempt to identify the bioactive component of the methanolic extract. This confirms their traditional use as food and medicinal.

Human-elephant Corridors, Co-existence and Conflict in Lower Assam in North-east India: a Review

Human-elephant Corridors, Co-existence and Conflict in Lower Assam in North-east India: a Review

Structural information derived from ambient noise tomography over a hydrocarbon‐producing region in the Cachar fold belt, lower Assam, northeast India

AbstractAmbient noise tomography is a powerful tool that has found increasing application in reservoir analysis and imaging. The Cachar fold belt in lower Assam, northeast India encompasses several wells under active hydrocarbon production, along with several dry wells. To overcome the lack of active seismic data over the entire fold belt, a passive seismic study was carried out to image the concealed three‐dimensional sub‐surface structures. The data were recorded from February to November 2011 by a network of 65 wideband seismometers spanning an area of about 40 × 60 km2. The data are crosscorrelated in the 2–5 s band, followed by phase‐weighted stacking to estimate noise correlation functions with surface wave signatures. The traveltimes picked from the frequency‐time analysis are utilized in a tomographic inversion for Rayleigh wave group velocities. The group velocity anomalies have a lateral resolution of ~ 3.5 × 5.5 km2 and variations of up to for each period. The group velocities are in turn inverted for S‐wave velocity distribution as a function of depth. The three‐dimensional S‐wave velocity tomograms reveal the tight anticlines and broad synclines, with high‐ and low‐velocity zones corresponding to structural highs and lows, respectively. The structural interpretation is supported for the part of the region with producing wells and covered by active seismic data, wherein the post‐stack time migrated seismic section shows anticlinal and synclinal features similar to those obtained from ambient noise tomography. The structures revealed by ambient noise tomography can help identify zones of interest to be targeted by active seismic surveys in the Cachar fold belt.

A study on seroprevelence and risk factors of bovine leptospirosis in lower Assam, India

A study on seroprevelence and risk factors of bovine leptospirosis in lower Assam, India

How does flooding affect the nutritional status of children in floodplain regions? A cross-sectional study from Assam, India

Flood is an annual phenomenon in Assam. This study aims to understand the after flood effects on children in the worst flood-hit districts of Assam during the last decades most devastating flood where more than 1,00,000 people were affected. A cross sectional population-based study was done covering 7512 children of 0–12 years of age in 35 worse flood-affected villages in three districts of lower Assam for nutritional risk profiling, low birth weight and morbidity pattern. Anthropometric measurements of the children were compared with standard WHO definitions for nutritional risk profiling. ANOVA was conducted to see any relationship of nutritional status between the age groups and BMI for the districts. Two-factor ANOVA to analyse the effect of ARI on the morbidity status of different districts was done. District-wise and village-wise heat maps were generated to understand different nutritional parameters for analysing which areas within each district are more affected and why. The moderate (< 2SD) and severely underweight (< 3SD) children under 5 years of age were highest in the Barpeta district (45.5% and 24.2% respectively). The moderate and severe stunting was highest in Morigaon (47.6%) and Barpeta (24.3%) respectively. The moderate and severe wasting was highest in the Morigaon district (46.1% and 20.6% respectively). All the nutritional indicators were less than the WHO standard. The age-wise and district-wise distribution of nutritional status shows variations in all three districts. Severe underweight was observed highest among 24–35 months’ children (50.9%) in Barpeta. The moderate and severe undernutrition status was found to be higher among the age group of 10–12 years of age compared to 5 to 10 years. This survey has provided a comprehensive picture of the nutritional status of the targeted children in the worst flood-affected areas. However, attention to its impact on health particularly among those exposed at very early stages in life is still lacking. This kind of rapid assessment helps to understand the health and nutritional status of the vulnerable groups in a deeper way and to plan robust region-specific interventions.

Invasion of Aleurodicus Rugioperculatus Martin in Assam: Posing Threat to Coconut Growers

Aleurodicus rugioperculatus Martin has invaded NER India in 2018 and established already in many districts of lower Assam and is alarmingly spreading to new districts owing to the inadequate domestic quarantine. The pest has been detected for the first time in Biswanath district of Lower Brahmaputra Valley Zone of Assam in May, 2019. Variation in speed of invasion has been noticed in different zones depending on the mode of dispersal of the pest. Rainfall had no impact on short-distance dispersal of the pest. However, rainfall-deficient months of 2018 and low rainfall days of 2019 had some impact on its arrival and establishment. The pest is likely to affect the coconut economy in future. Extensive survey in the NER India for assessing crop loss due to the invasion and enforcement of strict domestic quarantine in inter-state borders are the urgent need of the hour.