Locust attacks controlled at 383 places, drones used to monitor swarms: Rajasthan govt

Rajasthan, the worst-hit state in India due to locust plague has controlled attacks in 1,16,091 hectares at 383 places after surveying 14,80,858 hectares, Agriculture Department of the state government informed on Sunday. According to a report, the department also allocated Rs 15 crores to combat locust attacks, the report said.

Drones used by Dept to monitor locusts' movement

In a report, the department said that the first locust attack was witnessed in Jaisalmer and Sriganganagar districts on April 11 and the latest attack was witnessed in the Alwar district on May 30. The report informed that the department has granted 120 vehicles for surveillance, 45 vehicles, 800 tractors mounted sprayers, 3200 water tankers to control the attack of locusts.

The report said that the disaster management department has granted Rs 1.45 crore to District Collectors for the activities to control the attacks of locusts. Recently the Agriculture Department used drones to monitor the movement of the locusts in Jaipur's Samode, ANI reported.

The Central government has devised a plan to use drones and specialised imported machines against locusts which have started damaging crops in some states, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said last week. He said the government is hopeful of completely repulsing attacks by locusts by September-end.

'We are hopeful...'

"A plan is put in place to use drones to fight off locusts which are damaging crops in some parts of the country," Tomar said, adding that pesticides will be sprayed using drones.

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Speaking to reporters via video conference, he said some specialised machines will be imported by the Central government. "Delivery of these machines was expected to start by June end. While some of them were expected to be delivered from England by now, they could not reach India due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown," Tomar said.

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He said these machines would now be delivered by July-end. "They would help in rapid controlling of locusts," Tomar said. "We are hopeful to completely stop attacks by locusts by September-end," Tomar said.

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He also said that timely information on the movement of swarms of locusts came handy for government and that efforts to contain the flying pests have already started. Damage caused by desert locusts would be assessed by various state governments, which will send their reports to the Central government for compensation to farmers. Swarms of locusts had entered India from Rajasthan and flew to different states.

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(With agency inputs)