If a global pandemic, frequent earthquakes, and a devastating cyclone weren't enough, several swarms of locusts have wreaked havoc in several states of India.
After a sudden movement of a swarm of locusts were spotted on the outskirts of Jhansi district on Saturday evening, and millions of locusts were seen on trees and in Rana Heda village near Panbihar in Ujjain district, locusts made their way to the city of Jaipur on Monday.
What are locusts?
The desert locust is one of the 12 species of short-horned grasshoppers. Locusts swarms can travel up to 130 km in a day and each locust can consume about two grams of fresh vegetation i.e. equivalent to its own weight. A typical locust swarm can vary from less than one square kilometre to several hundred square kilometres.
Locusts had entered Rajasthan in April and have covered 50,000 hectares of land thus far.
In Rajasthan, 16 districts are affected, in UP 17 and Madhya Pradesh has reported one of the worst attacks in 27 years. The swarms could make headway to the Rajasthan-Haryana border and then enter Delhi. Four teams of the central government and teams of state agricultural development are using chemical sprays with the help of tractors and fire-brigade vehicles to keep the locusts at bay.
Residents of Jaipur woke up to the terrifying sight of thousands of locusts resting on their terraces and swarming around and shared the apocalyptic-like photos of the Pink city's skies.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Gujarat and Punjab have also warned the farmers of locust attacks.
- Scientists have attributed the May round of locust attack to a number of cyclones in the Indian ocean that hit a sandy area in the Arabian peninsula, which created breeding conditions for the locusts.
- Locusts can destroy standing crops and devastate livelihoods of people in the agricultural supply chain
This is the second round of locust attack in India after the December-February period when teams were deployed to spray organophosphate to kill the pests. Scientists have attributed the second round to a number of cyclones in the Indian ocean that hit a sandy area in the Arabian peninsula, which created breeding conditions for the locusts.
Locusts attacks in India usually last till November but this year the swarms stayed till February which scientists believe was due to the climate crisis. Last year’s extended monsoon, which began six weeks earlier in July in western India and lasted till November, produced natural vegetation for locusts to feed on and created ideal breeding conditions
What are the economic consequences of locust attacks?
Locusts can destroy standing crops and devastate livelihoods of people in the agricultural supply chain. Locust attacks could pose a threat to food security, the Food and Agricultural Organization has warned. According to FAO, a one square kilometre swarm of locusts, with about 40 million locusts, can in a day eat as much food as 35,000 people, assuming that each individual consumes 2.3 kg of food per day.
Experts have warned that if the current locust swarms are not controlled, the standing Moong crop worth around Rs 8,000 crore in Madhya Pradesh could be destroyed. They added that if the insects are not controlled and travel to long distances, cotton and chilly crops worth several thousand crores of rupees could also be damaged. The pests may also damage the nurseries of fruits and vegetables.
Farmers have been asked to keep the locusts away using loud sounds through drums, banging of utensils and shouting. The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has deployed drones, satellite-derived tools, special fire-tenders and sprayers at pre-identified border locations.
The locust attacks in India, Iran, Pakistan and Africa call for a collaborated effort at the international level to fight the challenge. India has offered a trilateral response in collaboration with Pakistan and Iran to combat the desert locust wave.
"2020 is the last year of mankind? Wondered many. Many others expressed their concern for farmers and their crops who were in the direct path of hungry locusts."
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