Kohima (PTI): Warmer summers and increase in the number of pests like locusts in the fields and mosquitos in urban areas may be a pointer that climate change has already arrived in Nagaland.

During July-September many places in the state witnessed locusts invading localities in the evenings when lights were switched on, while farmers said swarms were destroying their standing crops.

Since October last year till March end, the state hardly experienced any rain leading to severe drinking water shortage in hill areas, while farmers in many places complained of either delay in sowing or non-germination of seeds.

Vegetable suppliers were saying that everywhere in the North-east farmers were now complaining about unknown diseases affecting their crops with traditional management of such problems not working any more, resulting in unpredictable harvests.

Although there has been no significant research on climatic change in the state, interactions with local farmers suggested a marked change in the climatic pattern affecting the agricultural calendar, a paper published by the state Department of Forest, Ecology, Environment and Wildlife said.