Punjab Locust swarm: CM Amarinder asks PM to take matter up with 'breeding ground' Pak

On Tuesday, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take up the issue of locusts swarming from Pakistan with the Imran Khan government. He requested the PM to ask the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian High Commission in Islamabad to discuss tackling the locusts emanating from there into the states of Rajasthan and southern Punjab. These locusts were causing widespread damage and were destroying crops and devouring the vegetation of the area.  

Read: Locusts spotted in Punjab's Fazilka, Muktsar; farmers worried

“Although 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,” wrote Captain Amarinder Singh.

Read: BJP MLA enters Rajasthan Assembly with a basket of locusts, seeks compensation for farmers

'Take it up with FAO, UN' 

The Chief Minister also urged the Ministry of Agriculture to take up the issue with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations to ensure that the breeding grounds of these locusts in Pakistan were sanitized and under control. Since the UN-based organisation is mandated for controlling these pests internationally, the CM stated that their involvement in the locust situation in Pakistan would prove to be effective.  

Recently locusts were spotted in some villages of Punjab's Fazilka and Muktsar districts, after which the Punjab Agriculture Department (PAD) had stated that necessary arrangements were in place to tackle a possible locust attack. Rajasthan has been experiencing the worst locust attack in 26 years. Eleven districts of the state are facing the worst locust attack and control measures have been undertaken on 3.70 lakh hectares of affected land. 

Read: Rajasthan: Minister deploys drones to combat locust army invasion from Pakistan

'Develop a multi-pronged strategy'

Captain Amarinder Singh warned that a failure to control these swarms in time could lead to a serious escalation of the problem thereby affecting the states of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Gujarat. The extensive amount of crop damage could also cause inflation. Additional Chief Secretary (Development) Viswajeet Khanna has been touring the adjoining areas near Punjab to asses the locust situation and develop a multi-pronged strategy to combat the swarms. 

Read: Locust attacks continue to threaten Kenya, Somalia; UN calls for International help