Agri dept forms surveillance teams
Crop in 1,600 hectares damaged in Sriganganagar
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Tribune Reporters
Fazilka/faridkot, January 15
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Amid reports of locust attack on crops over 1,600 hectares in some parts of the adjoining Sriganganagar district, the Agriculture Department have constituted surveillance teams to keep a vigil in the villages of Fazilka and other districts sharing border with Rajasthan.
Fazilka Deputy Commissioner Manpreet Singh said a team of agriculture experts had been deployed at Vijaynagar and Anoopgarh segments of neighbouring Sriganganagar district to assess the situation. He said as of now, there was no threat of the locust attack here.
Chief Agriculture Officer Manjit Singh said 20 teams had been assigned the task to keep vigil on the standing crops in almost all villages of Fazilka. As such there was no sign of such infestation here but the exercise was undertaken by the Agriculture Department as part of its strategy.
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Why worry
Locust, a large size insect, is a short-horned grasshopper with a migratory habit. It attacks either crops or green vegetation. It also causes extensive damage due to its feeding behaviour.
Though there are no reports of locusts entering Punjab, keeping in view crops in many areas of Rajasthan being severely hit by the insects, farmers in areas adjoining Rajasthan have been told to remain vigilant
The last locust attack was reported in Punjab and Rajasthan in 1993 which had caused damage to the standing cotton crop.
The department has also raised the alarm in the districts of Bathinda, Muktsar and Ferozepur. It has asked chief agriculture officers at district levels to keep the department updated if even a small swarm of locusts descend on any part of the border districts. The department has also asked district offices to inform farmers about the chances of locusts attack, but without triggering panic.
Sources in the department said it was the first time that locust attack was being witnessed during these cold days. Besides Rajasthan, the swarms have already made entry into some parts of Gujarat. The reason of the attack is attributed to change in wind directions from Pakistan and Afghanistan, causing the locusts to first make entry into Gujarat and then spreading further to Rajasthan.
Meanwhile, the Rajasthan Government has ordered a special girdawari, which will begin from Thursday. The assessment would be completed within seven days.
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