Gregarious bamboo flowering - a phenomenon reminiscent of tragic Mizoram famine in the late 50s that is associated with a rise of rodent population and food scarcity - is spreading fast in several North-Eastern States, especially in Mizoram, Meghalaya, Southern Assam and Tripura once again after 50 years. Scientists at the Rain Forest Research Institute (RFRI), Jorhat, believe the impending flowering is likely to damage about 18,000 hectares of forest areas and leave over 25 million tonnes of bamboos dead and dry within the next few years, bearing serious economic and ecological implications.