Raj agri dept deploys drone to control locust attack in Jaipur district

The Rajasthan agriculture department on Wednesday deployed a drone to spray pesticides on swarms of locust in Jaipur district.

The drone was used in Samod area near Chomu in Jaipur district on Wednesday.

"We have started using one rental drone from today and more drones are likely to be used in next days as per the requirement," Om Prakash, the commissioner of agriculture department, told PTI.

He said that drones are useful for the spray on height or rough terrain like hills where sprayers mounted tractors and other vehicles cannot go.

The drone is sprinkling pesticide on nearly 2.5 acre of area in a flight of 15 minute.

Apart from the drone, nearly 800 sprayers mounted tractors, 54 vehicles of the locust warning organisation- Jodhpur, and fire brigades are being used in locust control in the state.

Over half of the districts in the desert state have been covered by the swarms of locust which entered into India from Pakistan on April 11.

These are rapidly travelling to far flung areas and reached Jaipur, Dausa, Karauli in search of food because there is no standing crops in fields.

The Centre's locust warning organisation- Jodhpur and the state agriculture department are working in coordination to handle the locust attack issue.