STATES ON ALERT FOR LOCUST THREAT
NEWDELHI: The Delhi government on Thursday issued an advisory on preventive measures to control a probable locust attack in the national capital.
It called for organising awareness programmes for the public/ farmers to prevent/control the probable attack of swarms of locusts in the national capital territory (NCT) of Delhi.
It said that since the swarms usually fly during the day and rest at night, they should not be allowed to rest. “Concerned authorities may carry out spraying of insecticide/pesticide as per need during the night,” the advisory by the Development Commissioner of Delhi said.
Delhi labour minister Gopal Rai also convened a meeting at his residence to discuss preparations to meet the locust threat, ANI reported. The locust swarms which first attacked Rajasthan have now spread to four other states - Punjab, Gujarat, Maharashtra and MP. Much of the current swarms of locusts are not yet adults. In favourable wind conditions they can travel long distances in a single day which makes tracking them difficult.
The Centre has also pitched in to help states battle the locust attack. In Maharashtra, the state agriculture dept has issued a ‘locust warning alert’ for all 11 districts in Vidarbha and four districts in north Maharashtra.
Swarms of locusts have moved towards Maharashtra’s Gondia district after attacking crops in neighbouring Bhandara, an official said.
An agriculture team rushed to Bhandara in the early hours of Thursday and sprayed pesticides with two fire tenders on trees in one-km radius in Temani village of the district, divisional joint director of agriculture Ravi Bhosle said. “When the team reached the area in the early hours, pests were seen on mango, teak, moha, jambhul, ber and other trees. Pesticides were sprayed and by morning, a large number the crop-eating pests fell from trees and died,” he said.
Haryana has issued a high alert in seven districts after locust swarms attacked crops in neighbouring Rajasthan and a few other states, official said on Thursday, asserting that there was enough insecticide in stock to tackle the pest menace.
HARYANA HAS ISSUED A HIGH ALERT IN SEVEN DISTRICTS AFTER LOCUST SWARMS ATTACKED CROPS IN NEIGHBOURING RAJASTHAN AND A FEW OTHER STATES, OFFICIAL SAID ON THURSDAY, ASSERTING THAT THERE WAS ENOUGH INSECTICIDE IN STOCK TO TACKLE THE PEST MENACE