Frequent locusts attack keeps Mahendragarh farmers, district officials on round-the-clock vigil

Ravinder Saini
Tribune News Service
Mahendragarh, July 13 

Locust swarms have kept both Mahendragarh farmers and district officials busy.

The district witnessed its seventh attack on Saturday, when swarms attacked standing crops in the district before settling on trees near Bas Khudana village. District officials estimated that 10-15 percent of the village’s cotton and bajra crops have been destroyed by locust swarms.

Fear of repeat attacks are forcing them to vigilant, and giving them many a sleepless night.

Raj Kumar, a villager from Sihar Azamnagar village, says swarms they have increased patrols in the fields.

 “Swarm of locusts damaged bajra and cotton crops on my fields spread over seven acres of land last week, forcing us to remain in alert mode to protect the remaining crops. Now, we have to take rounds of the fields several times in a day. After the first attack, the locusts have been spotted two-three times in the village but we scared them away each time by clanging utensils and making loud voices,” he says.

Dayanand of Palri Panihara villag says he now spends most his time in the fields, protecting his fields from locust swarms and stray cattle. Swarms have destroyed 40 per cent of his standing bajra and cotton crops spread over 2.5 acre on Saturday morning.

“We spend our nights in the farms to protect our crops,” he says.

District officials and villagers take joint patrols around the fields. Mahendragarh Deputy Director (Agriculture) Jaswinder Singh says they call their operation ‘The Barefoot’, and thanks to their vigilance, they have saved many standing crops.

“We succeed in eliminating more than 70 percent locusts in all affected villages. No major loss has been reported in any of the villages,” Singh said.