Locals clang utensils to scare away locusts in Nagaur, Rajasthan
Jul 01, 2020
Nagaur (Rajasthan) [India], July 1 : Locals in Rajasthan's Nagaur district clanged utensils to drive away locusts that made their way to the area from neighboring districts.
According to Additional District Magistrate, Didwana, Prabhati Lal Jat, the locust problem is only going to get worse in the coming days.
"Locusts have been in the area for the last 10-15 days in swarms about 20-30 kilometers long. The local administration is doing what it can to take control of the situation. It is worrisome that this is the breeding season as they are likely to exponentially increase in number," he said.
Jat added that the best way to combat the infestation would be if the swarms are taken care of at the border itself before they enter the state. "We would be very grateful if the state administration lends each district a few drones and tractors, along with an adequate amount of pesticide to remove the infestation," he added.
The desert locust is a species of locust, a swarming short-horned grasshopper. They are known to devour everything in their path, posing an unprecedented threat to the food supply and livelihoods of millions of people.
According to the information given by the Ministry of Agriculture, all the groups of locust swarms are being tracked by teams of the state agriculture departments of Rajasthan, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, local administrations and officials of the Central Locust Warning Organisation, and control operations are underway.