Locust Attack: Himachal Pradesh on high alert as swarms destroy crops in adjoining states

Taking note of massive locust attack, Himachal Pradesh on Thursday issued a high alert in districts of Kangra, Una, Bilaspur and Solan, after the swarms of locusts destroyed crops in adjoining states.

As per an official release, farmers have been asked to report any sightings of the locusts to nearest agriculture officers. The field functionaries have been alerted to keep constant vigilance on locust activity and get ready to control any emergency situation. 

"Desert locusts usually fly with the wind at a speed of about 16-19 km per hour depending on the wind. When swarm settles down in a particular area it should be quickly treated chemically, mechanically beaten and buried by digging trenches," Himachal Pradesh's Director of Agriculture, RK Koundal said.

"At present, the primary method of controlling desert locust swarms and hopper bands is mainly with organophosphate chemical applied in small concentrated doses [referred to as ultra-low volume (ULV) formulation] by vehicle-mounted and aerial sprayers and to a lesser extent by a knapsack and hand-operated sprayers. Small patches of locust should be immediately sprayed by ULV," he said.

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Himachal Pradesh prepared for potential Locust Attack 

As per reports, Bio-Control Laboratory, Kangra and Mandi have been directed to prepare Metarhizium and Beauveria bio-insecticides at their full capacities. Koundal asserted that presently no locust activity has been reported from any part of the state and necessary steps for locust control have already been taken.

"Field Officers have been directed to keep continuous watch and report any activity of the locust in the fields to the Agriculture Directorate for rebuffing the locust attack effectively," Koundal further said.

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Government's measures

The Union Agriculture Ministry on Thursday said that 15 sprayers are being procured from the UK in a fortnight and plans are afoot to deploy drones and helicopters for the aerial spray of pesticides. Union Agricultural Minister Narendra Singh Tomar has said that control measures are in full swing and in close coordination with state agriculture departments, local administration and Border Security Force (BSF).

Known to have travelled from the gulf, the huge swarms of locusts transit from Pakistan to India. The first locust attack of this year was reported from Ganganagar, a district in north Rajasthan bordering Pakistan on May 11 and have now spread to Punjab, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh.

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(With ANI inputs)