Locust attack in India

     

 India is battling the worst desert locust outbreak in recent time. the crop – destroying swarms first attacked Rajasthan and have now spread to Punjab , Gujarat , Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. the insects continue to destroy crops and vegetation, as a result food security and effectively, the livelihood of many farmers. Cotton crops in some areas of Rajasthan and Punjab besides pulses and vegetables have been affected by locust attack.

What are locusts?

Locusts are a collection of certain species of short-horned grasshoppers in the family Acrididae that have a swarming phase. Under certain circumstances they become more abundant and change their behavior and habits, becoming gregarious.

According to expert’s broadly four species of locust found in India.

Types of locust

1.      Desert locust.

2.      Migratory locust.

3.      Bombay locust.

4.      Tree locust.

The desert locust is considered the most destructive.

•     It multiplies very rapidly.
•     They capable of covering 150 km in a day. 

 

 Amazing facts about locusts.

1.    A swarm of 40 million locusts can eat as much food as 35,000 humans.                                                    
2.  A swarm the size of Delhi may consume the same amount of food in one day as every inhabitant in Rajasthan or Madhya Pradesh in one day.                                                                                        
3.   Locusts can ride up to 200km a day riding on winds.                                                                           
4.   Grasshoppers and locusts are said to be among the most nutritious edible insects, with thrice the amount of protein than other kinds of meat. 

 

    State wise situation 

Rajasthan (highly affected)

About 90,000 hectares in 20 district of rajasthan have been affected due to the locust attach, an official said on Thursday.

Swarms of locust have moved from Sri Ganganagar, Jaipur, Dausa , Karauli , Nagaur and Swai Madhopur.

Damage

• Crop over 4000 hectares in sri Ganganagar and 100 hectares in Nagaur have been destroyed.                           
•   Around 90,000 hectares in 20 districts have been affected in the state due to the locust attack.

Haryana

Haryana has issued a high alert in seven districts after locust swarms attacked crops in neighbouring Rajasthan and a few other states. Official said on Thursday, that there was enough insecticide in stock to tackle the pest menace. Tractor mounted with chemical sprayers have also been deployed.   

 

Maharashtra

Maharashtra agriculture minister Dada Bhuse on informed that around 50 per cent Locust Swarms were killed in the state by the agriculture department.

1.      Fire brigade vehicles are being used for spraying insecticides.

2.      Government providing chemicals/insecticides to farmer free of cost in the affected areas. 

3.      Local beat drums to driven away the insects.

 

Delhi situation

The Delhi government has asked authorites concerned to spray insecticides and pesticide on standing on standing crops , vegetation , gardens and orchards to prevent a probable attach of desert locust in delhi.

Agriculture department asked the authorites to organise awareness programmes for public and farmers to prevent the attack of locusts.

It asked the authorities to carry out spraying of pesticides chlorpyrifos and malathion.    

Prevention

What can be done to prevent?

1. The locusts have to be controlled with some proactive exercises that manage their movements and spraying of concentrated insecticides (ultra-low volume).

2. All kharif crops will need to be monitored throughout the season, else it will become major problem in India.

Public steps taken to control locusts:-

               

1.  Farmers try and get rid of locusts by smoking them out.
2.  Scaring them away by making loud noises.
3.  Spraying chemicals.

History locust’s attacks damage.

As per the Union Agriculture Ministry data

 

Sno	Year	locusts damaged crops worth
1.	1926-31	Rs 10 crore
2.	1940-46 and 1949-55	Rs 2 crore per cycle
3.	1959-62	Rs 50 lakh

 

 Some favourable conditions are present for the growth of locusts since the beginning of this year. The large scale breeding is a consequence of unusual rainfall which turned into many hoppers and immature adult groups. As the cyclonic storms hit the shores in Mekunu and Luban, which impacted Oman and Yemen. It caused changes in the wind, drawing the swarms of locusts into the central parts of the country, the report said. Therefore, main reasons behind the locust’s infestation can be attributed to the unseasonal heavy rains during their breeding season and strong westerly winds. Locust swarms have been breeding 400 times more than usual and this explosive multiplication may spell bigger disasters for large parts of Asia and Africa in the near future.

 

 

Government steps up measures to control locust.

 

1.      The center has ordered 60 sprayers from United Kingdom.

2.      89 fire brigades for pesticide spray.

3.      120 survey vehicles.

4.      47 control vehicles with spray equipment’s.

5.      810 tractor mounted sprayers have been deployed for effective locust control.

 

 

The situation become worst at coming days. 

Heavy rains and cyclones in the Indian Ocean are being cited by experts as reasons for increased breeding of locusts this year. The attack is also spread over a wider geography in India. The FAO has warned that the locust infestation will increase next month, when locusts breeding in East Africa reach India.

Result of locusts attack in our country.

Locust swarms eat food, food that farmers are growing for humans. If locust attacks of this proportion continue unabated, the insects will wipe out lakhs of tons of food grains and vegetables meant for human consumption.

Apart from a possible lack of food grains and vegetables, locust attacks on farms will also plunge India into fresh economic trouble.

Plagued by an economic slowdown and Covid-19 lockdown, the Indian economy is already on the edge. While experts hope that things will improve after a vaccine for the novel coronavirus comes into the market, an agrarian crisis due to locust attack will throw the government's plans off-balance.