FAO alerts India to be on high alert for next 4 weeks

Recently, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has warned amid the country facing the worst locust attack in 26 years. FAO warned India to remain on high alert against locust attack for the next four weeks.

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Key-Points

Stepping up its efforts, the government is using latest technology and equipment like drones and Bell helicopters to control the menace.

Rajasthan is the most affected state in the country. The other affected states are Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Haryana and Bihar.

Spring-bred locust swarms, which migrated to Indo-Pakistan border and travelled east to northern states, are expected to return back to Rajasthan with the start of the monsoon in coming days.

These swarms will return to Rajasthan to join other swarms still arriving from Iran and Pakistan, which is expected to be supplemented by swarms from the Horn of Africa in about mid-July.

The government is continuing the control operations to check damage to crops from locust attacks.

Presently, 60 control teams with spray vehicles are deployed in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. More than 200 central government personnel are engaged in locust control operations.

Besides, five companies with 12 drones are deployed at Barmer, Jaisalmer, Bikaner, Nagaur and Phalodi in Rajasthan for effective control of locusts on tall trees and in inaccessible areas through spraying of pesticides.