Locust attack: Capt urges Modi to take up issue with Pak govt

CHANDIGARH: Concerned over the spate of attacks on crops by swarms of locusts in neighbouring areas of southern Punjab bordering Rajasthan, chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Tuesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to direct the ministry of external affairs and the Indian high commission in Islamabad to immediately take up the issue with the government of Pakistan, from where the pests are emanating.

In a letter to Modi, Amarinder said there has been a sustained attack of locust swarms on crops in Rajasthan. A significant number of these pests have entered neighbouring areas in southern Punjab.

“Though Rajasthan has been taking the required action to control this locust attack, the best method of control is to manage the breeding ground itself, which incidentally falls in the adjoining desert area of Pakistan,” he said.

The chief minister said Pakistan should be asked to take effective steps to sanitise the breeding areas of these locusts.

Meanwhile, the state agriculture department has pressed into service special monitoring and survey teams in vulnerable parts of southern Punjab to keep a tab on the situation. These teams have been surveying the districts of Bathinda, Muktsar and Fazilka near the Rajasthan border. Additional chief secretary (development) Viswajeet Khanna is touring Abohar to assess situation.

CAN HELP CHECK LOCUST BREEDING, PAU TELLS PAK VARSITY

Vice-chancellor of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) Baldev Singh Dhillon has shot off a letter to his counterpart in the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad (Pakistan), Muhammad Ashraf offering him assistance to check the breeding of locust in the country from where the pest was coming.

The pest has caused widespread damage to crops in Rajasthan and southern Punjab.

“We cannot create a wall to stop the pest from crossing over to India. The only thing we could do is to take remedial measures to nip the problem in the bud. We have the technology and expertise to deal with the problem effectively,” said Dhillon.

There has been a sharp rise in the locust population due to unseasonal rainfall, particularly in Arabian Peninsula, a locust breeding pocket, the varsity Vicechancellor said.