Regional Research Laboratory in Sivasager in a recent study has found that 40 per cent decline in the number of silkworms as a direct fallout of the pollution from oilfields. oilfields in Upper Assam were posing a serious threat to the silk industry in the State, the study revealed. According to the research, the vegetation on which the silk worms feed has largely lost its nutritional value because of the air being heavily polluted by the harmful gases. It may be noted that Assam is the only state in the country which produces all four varities of silk- mulbery, tussar, eri and muga-with 90 per cent of the country's muga raw silk produced annually in the state. The sources informed that Northeast as a whole produces 101.5 meter of muga worth Rs 35.52 crore in 2002-2003 with Assam's share being 96 meters of raw muga. The declining number of silkworms has thus become a matter of concern for the industry. Apart from the pollution caused by oilfields, the decline in silk worms is attributed to various other factors like attacks by pests and parasites, general shrinkage of the acreage of food plains due to deforestation and so on. The sources said going by the report, the combined effect of all such factors was likely to lead to considerable decline in the population of muga silkworms if steps were not taken by the ONGC and the State Government to prevent the same.

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