Newsbytes
  • India
  • Business
  • World
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Technology
  • Entertainment
  • Auto
  • Lifestyle
  • Inspirational
  • Career
  • Bengaluru
  • Delhi
  • Mumbai
  • Videos
  • Visual Stories
  • Reviews
  • Phone Reviews
  • Fitness Bands Reviews
  • Speakers Reviews
  • Find Cricket Statistics
Hindi
More
In the news
Enforcement Directorate (ED)
Assam Floods
Bharat Bandh
Defence Ministry
Agnipath Scheme
Newsbytes
Hindi
Newsbytes
User Placeholder

Hi,

Logout


India
Business
World
Politics
Sports
Technology
Entertainment
Auto
Lifestyle
Inspirational
Career
Bengaluru
Delhi
Mumbai
Videos
Visual Stories
Reviews
Phone Reviews
Fitness Bands Reviews
Speakers Reviews
Find Cricket Statistics

More Links
  • Videos

Download Android App

Follow us on
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Linkedin
  • Youtube
 
Home / News / India News / Locust invasion continues, drones being used, states remain alert
India

Locust invasion continues, drones being used, states remain alert

Locust invasion continues, drones being used, states remain alert
Written by Shalini Ojha
May 28, 2020, 11:01 am 3 min read
Locust invasion continues, drones being used, states remain alert

With locusts blanketing a number of states, wiping off vegetation in a matter of hours, and entering urban areas too, the Central government on Wednesday said drones have been deployed to mitigate the effect. Punjab was put on high alert and farmers were asked to report any such attack to authorities. Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Haryana, were affected.

Context
Locusts came from Iran and Pakistan, traveled to several states

The locusts are flying in from Iran and Pakistan. While this phenomenon isn't new in drier months, the enormity of the attack has troubled everyone — from governments, already tackling the coronavirus pandemic, to farmers, whose months of work is at stake, and urban residents, who have never seen their terraces being taken over by insects before. India's food security is also under threat.

Threat
Each adult locust can eat as much as it weighs

According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), an adult locust can eat as much as it weighs (2 grams) daily. A kilometer of the swarm contains somewhere between 4 and 8 crore locusts. It can eat food meant for 35,000 people. Earlier, attacks remained confined to Rajasthan and Gujarat but as crops have largely been harvested, these insects moved to other places.

Attack
It's the worst attack in 26 years: Official

An official of the Faridabad-based Locust Warning Organisation (LWO), said this attack is the worst in 26 years. The Union Agriculture Ministry said initiatives were taken to contain the menace in 21 districts of Rajasthan, 18 of Madhya Pradesh, two of Gujarat, and one district of Punjab. The problem has been contained in 47,308 hectare in the four states thus far.

Drones
Drones being used to spray insecticides

The ministry added that 60 spraying machines were being purchased from UK-based company Micron. Two other firms were picked to supply drones, which will spray insecticides on tall trees and other inaccessible areas. In fact, for the first time ever, Rajasthan's state agriculture department used drones to ward off locusts in Jaipur's Chomu tehsil. The operation started on Wednesday morning.

Capability
Drones give officials an edge in the fight against locusts

The drones used in Jaipur are capable of spraying 10 liter of chemicals while creating a sound that would disperse the insects. The spray tank exhausts after 10 minutes of flight. Agriculture department's Commissioner Om Prakash said the biggest advantage is that the drones can fly above the flying zone of locusts, allowing officials to carry out the operation while the insects travel.

Details
Locusts attacked Jhansi yesterday, high alert sounded in Punjab

After attacking Madhya Pradesh, the locusts went towards Uttar Pradesh's Jhansi on Wednesday, prompting authorities to remain on alert. In Punjab, infestation and control rooms were set up in each district, said an official. Experts at Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University (CCSHAU) said farmers must keep a strict vigil and immediately inform authorities upon seeing such insects.

Problem
Meanwhile, immature locusts are active in a number of districts

Swarms of "immature locusts" are active in Rajasthan's Barmer, Jodhpur, Nagaur, Bikaner, Ganganagar, Hanumangarh, Sikar and Jaipur; and in seven districts of MP, namely Satna, Gwalior, Seedhi, Rajgarh, Baitul, Devas, and Agar Malwa. "Their mobility makes it difficult to control the swarm at one location and it takes 4-5 days of control at different locations to control a particular locust swarm," the ministry said.

Share this timeline
Facebook
Whatsapp
Twitter
Linkedin
Shalini Ojha
Shalini Ojha
Twitter
A mathematics graduate, I handle the national desk. Always looking for items to read, I started off as an entertainment beat writer and made the switch three years into my career. My talents include breaking news and being on top of trending topics.
Latest
Jaipur
Madhya Pradesh
Haryana
Gujarat
Maharashtra
Latest
BMW M3 Touring debuts in the global markets: Check features
BMW M3 Touring debuts in the global markets: Check features Auto
Looking at Ranbir Kapoor's net worth, prized possessions, more
Looking at Ranbir Kapoor's net worth, prized possessions, more Entertainment
Eastbourne International: Serena and Jabeur reach doubles semi-finals
Eastbourne International: Serena and Jabeur reach doubles semi-finals Sports
National Hydration Day: Why you need to drink enough water
National Hydration Day: Why you need to drink enough water Lifestyle
Xiaomi TV A2 and Mi Band 7 launched: Check prices
Xiaomi TV A2 and Mi Band 7 launched: Check prices Technology
Jaipur
5 best tourist places to visit in Jaipur
5 best tourist places to visit in Jaipur Lifestyle
Mughal descendant, historians refute BJP MP's Taj Mahal land claim
Mughal descendant, historians refute BJP MP's Taj Mahal land claim India
5 offbeat tourist places near Jaipur
5 offbeat tourist places near Jaipur Lifestyle
5 most popular tourist attractions in India
5 most popular tourist attractions in India Lifestyle
Rahul Gandhi slams BJP; says 'India of Hindus, not Hindutvavadis'
Rahul Gandhi slams BJP; says 'India of Hindus, not Hindutvavadis' Politics
More News
Madhya Pradesh
Ranji Trophy final, MP vs Mumbai: Preview, stats, and more
Ranji Trophy final, MP vs Mumbai: Preview, stats, and more Sports
Madhya Pradesh: Maid seen bashing two-year-old child, arrested
Madhya Pradesh: Maid seen bashing two-year-old child, arrested India
MP: Two men rape minor girl, live-stream act to friend
MP: Two men rape minor girl, live-stream act to friend India
Woman who resisted sexual assault receives 118 stitches on face
Woman who resisted sexual assault receives 118 stitches on face India
Top 5 beautiful and royal forts in India
Top 5 beautiful and royal forts in India Lifestyle
More News
Haryana
No roll-back of Agnipath scheme, all concessions pre-planned: Defence Ministry
No roll-back of Agnipath scheme, all concessions pre-planned: Defence Ministry India
Agnipath: Protests spread to more states, over 360 trains canceled
Agnipath: Protests spread to more states, over 360 trains canceled India
Agnipath scheme: Protesters burn trains; vandalism, violence leave 1 dead
Agnipath scheme: Protesters burn trains; vandalism, violence leave 1 dead India
Rajya Sabha polls: Tight contest underway in 4 states
Rajya Sabha polls: Tight contest underway in 4 states Politics
Mutilated body of 'missing' Haryanvi singer found, two arrested
Mutilated body of 'missing' Haryanvi singer found, two arrested Entertainment
More News
Gujarat
Meet Abbas, who PM Modi mentioned as friend in blog
Meet Abbas, who PM Modi mentioned as friend in blog India
#NewsBytesExplainer: Why Russia-Ukraine war is hitting Gujarat's diamond industry hard?
#NewsBytesExplainer: Why Russia-Ukraine war is hitting Gujarat's diamond industry hard? Business
Meet IAS officer Tushar Sumera who barely cleared Class 10
Meet IAS officer Tushar Sumera who barely cleared Class 10 India
Moose Wala murder: Pune Police arrests 2 suspects from Gujarat
Moose Wala murder: Pune Police arrests 2 suspects from Gujarat India
5 tallest statues in the world every traveler must visit
5 tallest statues in the world every traveler must visit Lifestyle
More News
Maharashtra
9 family members found dead; 15 arrested for abetting suicide
9 family members found dead; 15 arrested for abetting suicide India
Maharashtra crisis: Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut hints at Assembly dissolution
Maharashtra crisis: Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut hints at Assembly dissolution Politics
Maharashtra: Shiv Sena sacks 'rebel' Eknath Shinde as chief whip
Maharashtra: Shiv Sena sacks 'rebel' Eknath Shinde as chief whip Politics
Dehradun: 15-year-old arrested for raping 24-year-old five-star hotel staffer
Dehradun: 15-year-old arrested for raping 24-year-old five-star hotel staffer India
COVID-19: India logs 12,781 fresh cases, 18 more fatalities
COVID-19: India logs 12,781 fresh cases, 18 more fatalities India
More News
Next News Article
Next News Article

Love India news?

Subscribe to stay updated.

India Thumbnail
India News Business News World News Politics News Sports News Technology News Entertainment News Auto News Lifestyle News Inspirational News
Career News Bengaluru News Delhi News Mumbai News Mukesh Ambani Indian Premier League (IPL) Karnataka Samsung Xiaomi West Bengal
Bihar Virat Kohli Rohit Sharma Haryana Narendra Modi Arvind Kejriwal Tamil Nadu Gujarat Yogi Adityanath YouTube
Instagram Hollywood News Uttar Pradesh Kerala Netflix Bollywood News Mamata Banerjee Maruti Suzuki Rahul Gandhi Elon Musk
Shah Rukh Khan Chelsea FC OPPO Akhilesh Yadav Indian Cricket Team Apple Manchester United Salman Khan Cryptocurrency OnePlus
Amitabh Bachchan ICC Women's World Cup Vivo India vs Sri Lanka
About Us Privacy Policy Terms & Conditions Contact Us Ethical Conduct Grievance Redressal News News Archive Topics Archive IPL 2022 Schedule IPL 2022 Points Table Find Cricket Statistics
Follow us on
Facebook Twitter Linkedin Youtube
All rights reserved © NewsBytes 2022