Locust Attacks On Crops Intensifies

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Locust attacks on crops intensifies

The local farmers have sought government’s help in fight against Locusts destroying their crops and advancing to other areas in Punjab, Sindh and Baluchistan.

LAHORE: (UrduPoint/Pakistan Point News-May 28th, 2020) With every passing day, locusts were sharply advancing to other districts of Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan.

Locusts’ attack which started from Sindh reached Multan and Khanewal and were advancing to other areas of Punjab. The latest reports said that it attacked crops in in Multan, Muzzaffargarh, Vehari, Rahim Yar Khan, Bahawalnagar, Bahawalpur in Punjab and Sanghar, Matiari, and Ghotki in Sindh.

The farmers were crying for help and asking the government to do something to kill these locusts spreading fast in the agricultural land.

“Locusts are destroying mango, cotton and sugarcane crop in Southern Punjab,” said Ismail Ali, a farmer in Mozzafargarh. He said the attacks were getting intense in many other districts.

Locusts invaded shops and bazaars as well, which led to citizens panicking and spraying in hopes of dispersing the insects leading the onslaught.

In Rajanpur, locusts caused significant damage to green trees and plants. In Sadiqabad, the insects attacked mango farms, severely damaging the production of the fruit.

The district administration in Rahim Yar Khan also resorted to sprays to get rid of locusts attacking the crops.

Following complaints against locusts’ attack, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) activated a hotline 051-111-222-999 for registering and resolving issues pertaining to their attacks.

“The farmers are crying for help and lodging complaints regarding locusts’ attacks in their respective areas,” said the NDMA Spokesperson. He said there were complaints for spray in certain fields.

Chairman National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Lieutenant General Muhammad Afzal, in a recent media briefing, shared details of the steps taken to fight the locust attacks.

The NDMA chief had said that a massive operation is underway in Multan, Bahawalpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, and Faisalabad divisions, along with Okara, Bhakar, and Layyah districts.

“There are huge stocks of pesticides in Pakistan to keep the locust attacks in control,” Afzal had said.

Earlier, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto strongly criticized the Federal government for not taking adequate measures against Locusts.

He said the government should have taken steps to check the imminent attack of locust swarms in Sindh and other provinces as clouds of locusts have landed in different parts of the country and are destroying crops.

PPP Chairman had repeatedly warned the federal government of the threat of locusts’ attacks on the crops , saying that agricultural land was under attack but there was no response.

Fida Hussnain

Fida Hussnain is a lahore based journalist. He writes on politics, religion, social issues and climate change. He is also a research fellow at University of Gujrat.