Agri Dept on alert as locusts spotted in Sirsa

Sushil Manav

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 25

The Agriculture Department is on high alert after locusts were spotted on Friday by farmers in Chautala, Bharukhera, Shekhu, Chattha, Desujodha and some other villages of Sirsa district adjoining Rajasthan.

Sukhbir Singh of Chattha village noticed locusts in his fields and immediately informed other farmers. There were almost 100 locusts per acre.

Other farmers Balkar Singh, Dharam Singh and Balkaran Singh soon noticed locusts in their fields in Chattha and neighbouring villages.

A public announcement warning farmers of the attack was made from places of worship. Farmers were seen using slippers to kill the insects and beating tins to shoo them away.

Agriculture Minister Jai Prakash Dalal said he alerted the department immediately after getting first reports of the spotting of locusts in Sirsa villages. He said the officials of the department were in the field since Friday.

“There is no loss to crops so far. But since locusts, known to multiply very fast, have been spotted, we are not taking any chances. All preparations are being made to meet any situation. We have made arrangements for sprays by drones if the need arises,” he said.

Senior officers of the Agriculture Department conducted a survey of villages from the Rajasthan border till Dabwali on Saturday.

“Locust attacks were witnessed in Jodhpur, Bikaner and Jaisalmer districts of Rajasthan for the past several days. During the past two or three days, some isolated insects were seen in Chautala, Bharukhera and Mammarh Khera villages of Sirsa. There were in small groups of five to seven and not in swarms,” said Ram Pratap Sihag, Joint Director, Agriculture, who was overseeing the operations.

He said during surveys in villages on Saturday, between 10 and 12 locusts were spotted in Chattha, Phullo and Desujodha villages.

“As the locust attack is near Suratgarh in Rajasthan, there is no immediate cause for worry. In case locusts enter Haryana villages due to wind, farmers can stop insects from sitting on their crops by beating drums or empty tins. They can use pesticides to kill the locusts,” read an advisory by the department.

Farmers were advised to inform the control room set up for the purpose in Sirsa and Dabwali if they noticed any insects in their fields. Sanjeev Kaushal, Additional Chief Secretary, Agriculture, downplayed the locust threat.

“A flush of locusts enters the Rajasthan desert from Pakistan almost every day. The size of the swarm is two to eight km. When locusts settle at night, the Rajasthan authorities kill these by spraying pesticides after sealing the border. Some insects from there seem to have entered these villages with the wind. Some have died due to the impact of pesticides,” he said.