Gzb gears up to deal with locusts attack

GHAZIABAD: The Ghaziabad district administration is gearing up to deal with a new problem — a possible locust attack that may swarm in through its borders.

The district administration has so far set up a control room to deal with the situation and issued directions to the urban local bodies to make ready their jet spray equipment. The officials, however, said that people in urban areas have limited options and may resort to making loud noise to drive away the locusts.

India is battling the worst desert locust invasion in more than 21 years. The crop-destroying swarms first attacked Rajasthan and have now spread to other states like Punjab, Gujarat, Maharashtra, MP and UP.

“Locusts are presently in areas near Jhansi and wind direction, which is at present unfavourable, to determine if they travel towards Ghaziabad. In urban areas, people can resort to making loud noise — like playing loudspeakers, switching on their cars or tractors or other vehicles,” said RS Verma, plant protection officer from the district agricultural department.

According to officials, the district has a vast measure of about 52,000 hectares of agricultural fields, which needs to be protected. They added that Ghaziabad at the moment has standing sugarcane crop in about 35,000 hectares and much damage my take place in case of a locust attack. “The use of loud music or sound source in urban areas is needed as spraying of chemicals is not advisable in residential areas. The locust prefers staying at places that have vegetation and there are chances that they do not enter urban residential houses. They also get attacked by dogs, cats and even birds. They generally move along with the wind direction during the day time and stay on ground during evening and night,” he added.

District officials are on alert and teams have been deployed to track movement of the locust.

The officials said that an alert has already been sounded in rural areas, where teams at the panchayat levels have been briefed about measures to be taken and chemical spraying that needs to be undertaken in case of a locust attack.

“The last known location of locust is near Jhansi and wind right now is not blowing towards Ghaziabad. But wind can change direction. During night they also lay eggs and prefer soft soil to stay. It is at this time when we need to destroy them,” said Dr Virendra Kumar, deputy director (agriculture).