Chhattisgarh: With Chhattisgarh put on alert after swarms of locusts attacked crops in the neighbouring states, Agriculture scientist from the state’s Indira Gandhi Agricultural University said that the locust attacks have now become endemic.
“These are desert locusts. Pakistan, Afghanistan and Rajasthan in India, are very sensitive regions and prone to such attacks. Locust control units with alarms have been set up at India-Pakistan border at Rajasthan. This is slowly becoming an endemic now,” Dr Gajendra Chandrakar, an Agricultural scientist with Indira Gandhi Agricultural University told ETV Bharat.
“Rajnandgaon, Gadchiroli are areas in Chhattisgarh are more prone to such attacks,” added Chandrakar.
On Wednesday, the Chhattisgarh agriculture department and farmers of districts bordering Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra were alerted after swarms of locusts attacked crops in the neighbouring states
As per the warning, locusts have reached Amravati (Maharashtra) and Mandla (Madhya Pradesh) from Rajasthan and may enter the bordering districts of Chhattisgarh "in a day or two".
"Hence, the Central Integrated Pest Management Centre (CIPMC) has asked agriculture officials and farmers of the districts concerned to be aware of these insects and take precautionary measures," a public relations official said.
Farmers have been advised to use pesticides like malathion, fenvalerate and quinalphos, to save their crops from locust attack, he said.
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They have also been asked to use chlorpyrifos, deltamethrin, diflubenzuron, fipronil and lambda-cyhalothrin pesticides for protecting their crops and trees, he said.
Agriculture authorities and farmers in the states Rajnandgaon district, which shares a border with Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, have been asked to be extra cautious as huge swarms of locusts may reach there by Thursday, he said.
A district-level team has been constituted in Rajanandgaon which has already swung into action to prevent crop damage by these insects, he said.
Nearly 20 tractor-mounted sprayers have been arranged in Rajnandgaon.
Besides, villagers have been advised to form groups and make noise by beating thalis (steel plates), tin boxes and sound-producing instruments to drive away from the insects, the official said.
Local authorities have been asked to work in coordination for arranging pesticides and sprayers, he said.
With inputs from PTI
