India is facing a number of problems. One of them is the damage done by a lowly weed. This weed is Lantana Camara. It is an "ornamental plant". It was imported from Latin America a century ago. It grows so thick and wild that it is difficult to penetrate it. Ten years ago, in the Uttar Pradesh village of Nauku Chiatal, School Headmaster Chandra Shekhar Lohumi noticed that it caused a lot of damage to farmers and also wounded his pupils who came to school. Lohumi was 63 years old. He had no scientific training. But he recalled that an insect had once been used in Australia to check the spread of cactus. He thought a parasite might be employed to check the Lantana weed.
Determined to find a solution, Lohumi began to observe the weed carefully. He spoke to villagers and searched for areas where the plant appeared weak or unhealthy. He believed that if the weed was being damaged somewhere, there must be a natural enemy responsible for it. With patience and curiosity, he set out to discover that hidden cause.