Jalore (Rajasthan): The state environment ministry has set up three camps across Jalore district of Rajasthan to launch a locust control operation in a number of villages on Wednesday after a swarm of grasshoppers destroyed crops particularly Rabi spread across several hectares of agricultural land in the district on Tuesday.
A team of officials led by Deputy Director of Agriculture Phularam Meghwal was constituted which has been tasked with carrying out the operation simultaneously in three locust affected areas - Doongri, Bandhakua, Beri.
Upon receiving the news of the locust attack, Minister of State Forest and Environment, Sukhram Bishnoi visited the villages and spoke to the residents assuring them of immediate action.
"The environment minister has set up three camps across the district to bring the swarm of locusts under control," said Jalaram, a former member of the village Panchayat Samiti.
In a desperate bid to protect their crop from getting destroyed the villagers tried different techniques, while some lit a fire to ward off the locusts by using smoke, some covered the crop with pieces of cloth, but all in vain.
"We tried our best, but they (locusts) destroyed all our crops," said village resident Om Prakash Jhakad.
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The swarm of locusts entered Jalore on Tuesday from Badmer district and made their way forward.
Bishnoi, in the meantime, has asked the district administration to remain on high alert.
The first locust outbreak was reported in May 2019 after 26 years, and grasshoppers returned in the December-January period to cause extensive damage.
