While the country is struggling to get back on its feet amid the coronavirus lockdown, a locust infestation could cause further devastation to the agri-economy. After wreaking havoc in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, swarms of locusts have been spotted the eastern part of Maharashtra, in the Vidarbha region.
There are also reports that swarms of locusts have invaded Madhya Pradesh and covered areas of the Panna Tiger Reserve. Reports of crop damages have been pouring in from these States as farmers try and get rid of locusts by smoking them out, scaring them away by making loud noises, beating drums and thalis or spraying chemicals.
There are apprehensions that locusts may move towards the national Capital region (NCR) in the next few days if wind speeds and directions are favourable. Earlier in 1944, the northern sky in Delhi became completely black in the late afternoon due huge locust swarms. The locusts initially entered Rajasthan from Pakistan. From Rajasthan, locust swarms also entered Madhya Pradesh over the past few days.
IFS officer Parveen Kaswan on Tuesday tweeted pictures of these desert locusts that had invaded the Panna Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh. "The swarms has the potential of eating everything & destroy the crops," he said in his tweet. The images posted by Kaswan can make anyone cringe as the swarm of desert locusts can be seen engulfing everything in their path, covering trees and fields.
Officials of the ministry of agriculture said that the swarm of desert locusts entered in Maharashtra from Amravati district. It then went to Wardha and now it is in Nagpur's Katol tehsil. The authorities have advised people to beat drums, thalis and use crackers to keep them away. Besides, the process of spraying chemicals on crops is underway.
BR Kadwa, Deputy Director of Agriculture Department, Rajasthan said that swarms of locusts are entering Rajasthan from adjoining areas in Pakistan every two-three days since a month. “As rabi crops has been harvested and kharif sowing season is yet to be started in the state, that’s why the reason of their fast movement,” he said.
According to officials, locusts have spotted in 17 districts of Uttar Pradesh that is close to the national capital region and there is possibility of invading in Delhi and NCR areas during the onset of monsoon. Farmers have been put high alert and deployed insecticide spraying devices through drones, SUVs and tractors.
A huge Locusts was spotted in Karauli in Rajasthan, following which an alert was issued for Jhansi, Lalitpur, Jalaun and Auraiya and their adjoining districts like Hamirpur, Kannauj ,Etawah and Kanpur Dehat.
Deputy Director Agriculture Kamal Katiyar said, “The swarm of locusts is moving and is small in size. We have got news that nearly 2.5 km to 3 km long swarm of locusts has entered the country. A team has come from Kota (Rajasthan) to tackle the locusts.” The Mathura district administration has started early preparations in view of the growing locust threat and formed a task force. Mathura District Magistrate Sarvagya Ram Mishra said 200 litres of chloropyriphos has been kept as reserve and its sellers in the area have been advised not to supply the chemical outside the district. The Jhansi administration has also directed the fire department to keep its vehicle ready with chemicals to tackle a sudden movement by locust swarms. Jaipur’s residential area on Sunday also witnessed a huge swarms of locusts.
The locust warning system falling under the Agriculture Ministry has blamed Pakistan for this year’s attack, saying it failed to conduct control operations successfully. “Ecological conditions are not favourable for locust breeding in summer. However, the incursion locusts across the border is still continuing. If Pakistan had taken proper control measures, the breeding of locusts could have been stopped, it said.
The Ministry of External Affairs has taken up the issues with its counterparts in Pakistan and offered pesticides and other chemicals to get rid of swarms of locusts.