Locusts Attack in India: How well prepared are the States

Delhi - The Delhi government has asked authorities to spray insecticides and pesticides on standing crops, vegetation, gardens and orchards to prevent a probable attack of desert locusts in Delhi. The circular also listed four chemicals — Melathion 50% EC, Melathion 25% WP, Chloropyriphos 20% EC and Chloropyriphos 50% EC — that must be diluted in water and used as pesticides and sprayed in the evening to control the swarm. , Delhi’s forest department is considering covering the saplings in its nurseries with polythene to protect them against the desert locust attack. There are 14 lakh saplings in 14 government nurseries across Delhi.

Uttar Pradesh - In Uttar Pradesh, overnight operations were carried out by the authorities to clear swarms of locusts in Moth and Garautha areas of Jhansi, and in Sonbhadra district. Two fire brigade vehicles loaded with insecticide have been deployed in all four Jhansi tehsils besides six vehicles have been kept ready at the district headquarter. Ten municipal employees with two insecticide spraying machines were posted in every block. The farmers have also been advised to plough their fields as the insect prefers breeding in sandy soil.

Madhya Pradesh - Farmers in Jabalpur have arranged water tankers and chemicals for spraying in order to drive away locusts from attacking farms. Besides, farmers in Sehore district have been beating utensils. However, scientists from the Locust Team, Agricultural Science Department removed 60 per cent of locusts by spraying disinfectant.

Punjab - All Punjab districts have been put on alert and control rooms have been set up in each district and farmers have been asked to report any activity of locusts. For the time being, an amount of Rs 1 crore has been allocated for controlling the locust attacks. Agriculture department, officers have been asked to maintain strict vigil in their respective areas

Haryana - Haryana has issued a high alert in seven districts and tractors mounted with chemical sprayers have also been deployed to thwart desert locust attack. The districts which are on high alert are Sirsa, Fatehabad, Hisar, Bhiwani, Charkhi Dadri, Mahendragarh and Rewari. A response team headed by senior agriculture department officer Surinder Singh Dahiya has been formed to coordinate with the deputy commissioners.

Maharashtra - Locusts have damaged oranges orchards and vegetable plantations in some areas of Nagpur and Wardha districts in Maharashtra. Agriculture workers started spraying pesticides and chemicals on plants and fields from truck-operated sprayers and fire extinguishers. An agriculture team rushed to Bhandara in the early hours of Thursday and sprayed pesticides. Authorities in Gondia were alerted while pesticides were sprayed on crops and trees. With swarms of locusts currently moving in Vidarbha region of Maharashtra, the administration has issued a slew of directives to tackle attack on crops by the insects. Farmers in Palghar district have been asked to remain guarded against the locusts in order to save their standing crops.

Rajasthan - One of the worst-hit states, about 90,000 hectares in 20 districts of Rajasthan have been affected due to the locust attack, PTI reported. On locust control operations, Commissioner of the Agriculture Department said said 800 tractors with mounted sprayers were being used to neutralise locusts. About 200 teams are involved in daily survey and farmers are being given free pesticides.

Bihar - The state government has also decided to carry out chemical spraying on the trees from midnight to early morning because the locusts stay on the trees soon after the sunsets. Farmers have also been asked to adopt some traditional modes like a drum, utensils beating, and crowd-voicing to chasing away the swarms of locusts