India
Locust swarms ‘headed’ to Delhi, UP braces for 2nd attack, farmers put on alert
Swarms of desert locusts that infested Jaipur on Monday morning could be headed towards Delhi, if wind speed is favourable.
Delhi has been kept on alert as such swarms are currently active in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, which is the most affected state.
Punjab has been put on alert after swarms of locusts attacked crops in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, officials said on Wednesday.
Farmers have been asked to keep an eye out for any locust activity, they said.
The locusts initially entered Rajasthan from Pakistan. From Rajasthan, they also entered Madhya Pradesh over the past few days.
“An alert has been issued in whole Punjab (in the wake of locust attack in other states),” Punjab Director Agriculture Sawtantar Kumar Airi said.
Control rooms have been set up in each district and farmers have been asked to report any activity of locusts, he said.
Locusts, popularly known as ‘tiddi dal’, are known to devour vegetation wherever they settle. In the past, farmers in different parts of the country have faced huge losses due to crop damage caused by swarms of locusts.
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