Rajasthan CM urges PM Modi to coordinate with Pakistan to control locust menace

In order to control the locust menace, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting the Central government to coordinate with Pakistan and other neighbouring countries.

Jaipur (Rajasthan):Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting the Central government to coordinate with Pakistan and other neighbouring countries to control the locust menace.

In a series of Tweets, Chief Minister Gehlot said: "Have written a letter to the PM Shri Narendra Modi for help in effective control of locusts in several districts of Rajasthan. Requested the Prime Minister that the Union Government should coordinate with neighbouring countries, including Pakistan, for control of locusts."

"The neighbouring countries should be suggested to take effective measures so that the birth of locusts could be controlled and the growth of the pests could be terminated at their origin itself. The districts at the international border with Pakistan are under heavy attack of the locusts," said Gehlot in another tweet.

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He said, "The state government is working in close coordination with locusts warning organisation at Jodhpur for control of insects. Damages caused to crops in fields can be minimised only if serious efforts are initiated for control of these grasshoppers in Pakistan and other neighbouring countries on the western side."

"Locusts started coming to Rajasthan in great number since May this year. Generally, number and effect of these pests decline by the month of October, but this time their attack continued even in December," he said.

"Such a heavy attack of locusts was being witnessed after 26 years and the crops and other vegetation are in great danger due to this," he said.

"On September 18, I wrote another letter to the Union Agriculture Minister in this regard. I requested the Minister to make additional human, physical and technical resources available in order to control the locusts," he further tweeted.

"The state government is relentlessly working on this. Thirty-seven vehicles have been made available for conducting surveys and control exercises on locusts and farmers are being provided 50 per cent grant on insecticides," he added in another tweet.