Balesar: The crops of mustard, cumin and wheat, worth crores of rupees, have been devastated by locusts in various parts of Rajasthan, even as efforts are on to control the menace.
According to the official sources, the worst-hit districts in the state are Jaislamer, Barmer, Jodhpur, Jalore, Hanumangarh, Ganganagar, Bikaner and Sirohi. The affected farmers say they were trying everything possible but the menace of locusts could not be controlled.
"Chemical is being sprayed but they are in large numbers and causing huge loss every day," said one of the farmers.
Read: BJP MLA enters Rajasthan Assembly with basket full of locusts
They said state authorities have been informed about the invasion of locust and farmers have also been trying their best to deal with the situation. The first locust outbreak was reported in May 2019 after 26 years, and grasshoppers returned in the December-January period to cause extensive damage.
As per reports, in the last locust attack in December, almost 6,500 villages in nine districts of Rajasthan and two districts of Gujarat were affected.
At present, it is claimed 312 villages are already under another attack of locusts, with maximum villages affected in Jaisalmer district followed by Barmer.