Locust control operations continue in 9 states of North and Western of India.
Locust control operations have been conducted on 1,68,315 hectares of farmland in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana by Locust Circle Offices (LCOs) between 11th April and 14th July.
Similar control operations have been conducted on 1,47,321 hectares in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Haryana and Bihar by respective State Governments.
Control operations were carried out at 27 places in Barmer, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Churu, Jhunjhunu and Sikar districts of Rajasthan, 1 place in Bahraich district of Uttar Pradesh, 2 places in Kutch district of Gujarat on the intervening night of 14th-15th July.
In addition to this, respective State Agriculture Departments have also conducted control operations at 2 place each in the districts of Balrampur and Bahraich in Uttar Pradesh and 1 place in Pali district of Rajasthan in the intervening night of 14th-15th July.
79 control teams with spray equipment mounted vehicles and more than 200 Central Government personnel, 50 Technical officers and 22 drivers on contractual basis, are currently engaged in these operations. The operational capability has been boosted by the use of drones, a Bell helicopter, a MI-17 helicopter and the newly imported Ulvamast sprayers from the UK.
