Locust invasion looms large, Agri Dept, PAU on high alert

Minna Zutshi

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, May 26

To check the locust swarm invasion in the state, the Department of Agriculture and Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) are keeping a strict vigil and are carrying out surveillance with the information support flowing from the Locust Warning Organisation (LWO).

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• Haryana department on alert as locusts reach Rajasthan

 Dr Pardeep Chhuneja, head of etymology, PAU, told The Tribune that around 5 pm today, there was an alert from the LWO that one swam from Rajasthan had moved. The LWO is responsible for monitoring and controlling the locust situation in the scheduled desert area (SDA), mainly in the states of Rajasthan and Gujarat and partly in Punjab and Haryana, by way of intensive survey, surveillance, monitoring and control operations where required.

“Since the beginning of 2020, the desert locust has been a great concern in many countries. For the last few months, the continuous breeding and activity of locust in African and middle-east countries and from Indian context, southern Iran and Pakistan, have been imminent threat to agriculture and vegetation of our country, particularly in states sharing border with Pakistan, mainly Rajasthan, Punjab and Gujarat,” said Dr Chhuneja.

Aberrant phenomenon

Though earlier the locust swarms were known to invade India during the monsoon, but its invasion as swarms during the last winter had been an aberrant phenomenon that is being attributed to changing climatic conditions, according to Dr Chhuneja.

Devour vegetation

The magnitude of the damage and loss caused by the locusts is beyond imagination, say experts. Being polyphagous feeder, on an average small locust swarm eats as much food in one day as about 10 elephants, 25 camels or 2,500 people. Locust swarms cause damage by devouring leaves, flowers, fruits, seeds, bark and also by breaking down trees because of their weight when they settle down in masses.

Past attacks and damage

• In India, damage to crops caused by locusts during 1926-31 cycles, on a conservative estimate, was about Rs10 crore
• During 1940-46 and 1949-55, the damage was estimated at Rs2 crore each and it was Rs50 lakh during the last locust cycle (1959-62)
• No locust plague cycles have been observed after 1962. However, during 1978 and 1993, large-scale upsurges were reported. The damage was estimated at Rs2 lakh in 1978 and Rs 7.18 lakh in 1993