Locust attack: Chhattisgarh, UP on high alert; crops damaged in Rajasthan, MP

Several parts of Uttar Pradesh have been on alert after swarms of locusts were spotted in Mahoba and Jhansi districts, moving into the state after attacking crops in neighbouring Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.

Local officials of at least 10 districts have been put on alert and asked to remain prepared with chemicals in tractor-mounted sprayers, power sprayers and fire brigade, said an Uttar Pradesh government spokesman.

In Jhansi, locusts have been spotted over the last couple of days and farmers told that they should alert a control room whenever they see a swarm.

In Mahoba district, there are reports of partial damage to vegetables over 25 hectares and a detailed assessment of the loss is being done, the spokesman said.

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Locusts entered Rajasthan from Pakistan earlier in May. From Rajasthan, locust swarms also entered Madhya Pradesh over the past few days and then drifted into other parts of western India.

The locust activity in Rajasthan's Karauli triggered an alert in Jhansi, Lalitpur, Jalaun and Auraiya in UP as well as in districts like Hamirpur, Kannauj, Etawah and Kanpur Dehat which adjoin them.

Swarms of locusts have also damaged orange crop and vegetable plantations in some areas of Nagpur and Wardha districts in Maharashtra.

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As crops in MP and Maharashtra have been attacked by locusts, the Chhattisgarh agriculture department and farmers of districts bordering the two states have been alerted.

Locusts have reached Amravati (Maharashtra) and Mandla (Madhya Pradesh) from Rajasthan and may enter the bordering districts of Chhattisgarh "in a day or two", an official said.

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, said a public relations official.

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Desert locusts are a regular feature in the country but this attack is huge, Soumitra Dasgupta, Inspector General, Wildlife, Ministry of Environment told PTI.

Locust is a large, mainly tropical grasshopper, with strong powers of flight and it migrates in vast swarms which cause extensive damage to vegetation.

(With inputs from PTI)