Jaipur(Rajasthan): Amid the coronavirus crisis, the next big challenge for Rajasthan is to handle the locust attack on crops. Most of the northern states like Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra have been severely affected due to locusts but Rajasthan remains worst-affected. Though locusts look like ordinary short-horned grasshoppers, they destroy food crops on a large scale. Locusts can fly up to 150 kilometres in a day, have a flight speed of 15 kilometres per hour. Each locust can eat up to 2 gram of crop, a square kilometre can be infested by 4 crore locusts and a swarm of these locusts can eat crop meant for 35 thousand people, 20 camels or 10 elephants. Rajasthan remains the worst-hit state with Indian farmers continue to face loss of crops.
District wise damage assessment in Rajasthan:
The terror of locust attack has now spread to 14 districts of Rajasthan. Farmers are taken aback as the locusts have attacked certain areas for the first time. Farmers' cotton and vegetable yields have been heavily damaged by locusts. In Khanpur Majra village of Nagaur, locusts have eaten up 8 to 12 inches of cotton plants standing in some fields.
District Affected Areas
Bikaner - 1345 Hectares
Churu - 500 Hectares
Jodhpur - 455 Hectares
Jaipur - 397 Hectares
Sriganganagar - 200 Hectares
Barmer - 170 Hectares
Dausa - 55 Hectares
Nagaur - 25 Hectares
Sikar - 20 Hectares
Baran- 3 Hectares
What is a locust and where did it come from?
Desert locust outbreaks have affected an area of about 30 million square kilometres all over the world. Northwest and East African countries, Arab countries, Arabian Peninsula, Southern Soviet Russia, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India are severely affected. On normal days, when their impact is less, they are still found in one crore six million sq km area of 30 countries.
The biggest attack of desert locusts was seen in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan after 16 May 2019, dispersed all over. According to the locust control and research department of the Government of India, a survey was conducted in May 2019 at 246 places. Locusts were found at 46 places and swarms of locusts were also spotted in some areas of Bikaner district.
What do the scientists say?
"Locusts could have more influence because Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia, South Iran and a part of Pakistan have a desert in certain portions of their territory. The storm caused heavy rains here and water ponds were formed in the Desert, giving these locusts a favorable breeding environment. Taking advantage of the favorable climate, locusts are now breeding up to 400 times their normal capacity. This is very worrying because India is among those countries where the impact of climate change is most visible. If the locusts are to be destroyed completely, their eggs will have to be destroyed in the desert itself. A locust lays eggs three times, lays 80 eggs at a time," says Arjun Singh, Agricultural Scientist, Center for Agricultural Research, Jaipur.
Misery of farmers:
Farmers say that when the locust swarms attacked their farms, the family could do anything. They were rendered helpless and had no clue what they should do to protect the crops. To divert the locusts, all the family members started making loud noise by clapping and clanging spoons to save the crop.
“For the first time in my life I have seen this kind of destruction,” says Sitaram, a farmer from Nagaur, adding that the cotton plant had grown 8 to 12 inches long and every plant had 7 to 10 leaves, but the grasshopper attack destroyed the entire crop. Large trees like khejdi, neem and peepal were also destroyed due to grasshopper attack. Farmer Poonaram says that ranjaka was grown for animal fodder but locusts damaged it too. Apart from this, the attack of locusts has caused damage to millet and groundnut crops too. The vegetable crop was completely destroyed the locusts.
Read: Massive locust attack in Madhya Pradesh, farmers appeal for govt help
What steps have been taken by the Central govt to control the locust attack?
Kailash Chaudhary, Union Minister of State for Agriculture said, "The central government is continuously working to contain the locust menace. The central government has given handovers to 60 UK companies, as well as orders for spraying insecticides by 5 chopper machines have been put forward. Along with aerial spraying in the locust affected areas, spraying is also being done by drones and it has also been tendered. The central government has approved 14 crore rupees to Rajasthan government for locust control. Apart from this, the permission has been granted by the central government to spray through 800 tractors.
How is Rajasthan's revenue Ministry handling this crisis?
Harish Chaudhary, Revenue Minister said, "Through cultivators, we can eliminate locusts’ eggs. On the other hand, the Locust administration uses a micron(routine fly control in waste disposal sites, landfill and refuse areas) to kill the adult locusts and thus 96 per cent locusts can be killed. Now the Rajasthan government has also given its permission to use microns.
Last year, the farmers of Rajasthan stopped locusts with the help of dust. With the help of drones and spraying machines, we are handling the crisis. We have also sought help from the Central govt.
What's the take of State government?
Sachin Pilot, Deputy CM said, "For the first time, the swarm of locusts has reached in the remote areas. There is a separate department of the Central Government for its prevention. Rajasthan has also asked the Center for help so that there is not much loss in the state due to locusts. It has never happened before that these swarms of locust had reached Jaipur. This is a matter of concern and one must find a way out of it.
What techniques can be used to control locust attack?
- Farmers are driving locusts out of the fields by clanging utensils, thali/plates, drums
- Locusts are being controlled by spraying pesticide through tractor
- Locusts are also being killed by spraying pesticide
- Locust administration is destroying locust eggs through cultivators
- The Locusts are also being destroyed by using micron
-Rajasthan government has approved the eradication of locusts through dust even this year.
-Central government gave approval for spraying of drugs through drones and helicopters
What are the operations being carried out?
In order to eliminate locusts, the government has used four by four vehicle to spray insecticides in the desert by carrying out a regular operation. This is done from midnight until the morning as it has been observed that locusts sit on trees in the evening or attack the crop. They migrate to a different place the next morning after destroying the crops. Therefore the operation to contain them is carried out at night, which lasts till 8 am.
What's the menace for the upcoming days?
Agriculture scientist Arjun Singh of Jaipur Agricultural Research Center said that locust swarms can migrate from East Africa to India and Pakistan next month. We are facing the worst desert locust attack situation in decades. Currently, locust attacks are most severe in Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia, South Iran and many parts of Pakistan. In June, it will extend from Kenya to Ethiopia as well as Sudan and possibly West Africa. It will cross the Arabian Sea and reach India and Pakistan. Locusts are breeding in Africa; they may come to India in June. This locust attack is believed to be more dangerous this time because earlier when they had destroyed the crops in 1993, locusts succumbed due to cold in October, but this time despite the change of weather, the locust squad is not only active but their attack is more severe.
Read: Swarms of locusts reach Rajasthan's Churu, authorities spray insecticides to curb menace
