India is suffering its worst locust infestations in nearly 30 years, with large Numbers of desert locusts plundering nearly 50,000 hectares of land and crops in the west and central regions. Authorities intensified their response on Thursday, sending drones, tractors and cars to trace the locusts and spray them with insecticide.
Millions of desert locusts ravaged Pakistan in April before moving into the Indian state of Rajasthan. Images of the city's capital, Jaipur, filled the sky, trees, roofs and pylons with locusts, were chilling. Some farmers beat POTS, threw stones or smoked them in an attempt to disperse the swarm, but most watched in despair.
K.L. Gurjar, deputy director of India's official locust alert, said there were between eight and 10 swarms of locusts operating in parts of rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, each covering about one square kilometer, hitting seasonal crops in two states, with smaller swarms also seen in several other states.
This is the largest swarm of locusts India has faced since 1993, and their Numbers will only increase dramatically until drier weather can contain their spread, guzar said. He says unusually high temperatures this year have caused the locusts to spread quickly. With the covid-19 lockdown still in place, many farmers are still struggling and could be devastated by the locust plague.
Think-tank scholar ge para krishnan (Tarun infosys), said the frequent abnormal western tropical disturbance (disturbances), into the rain water, plus (triumph) hurricane, all make a more favorable weather conditions for the locust breeding, "just like their breeding season harvest".
Experts warn that the situation could worsen as more swarms of locusts are expected to arrive in India from Pakistan in June.
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