With an attack of locust witnessed in Rajasthan districts, Haryana today alerted seven districts — Sirsa, Fatehabad, Hisar, Bhiwani, Charkhi Dadri, Mahendragarh and Rewari — to remain prepared for its monitoring and control.
Locusts move in swarms and have the ability to fly rapidly across great distances.
Sanjeev Kaushal, Additional Chief Secretary, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department, Haryana, said, “Ever since locust attacks were witnessed in Rajasthan and parts of Punjab earlier this year, the department had already taken necessary steps for its control in the seven districts close to Rajasthan through various training awareness camps. The situation is being closely monitored in coordination with the central government and agriculture officers from Rajasthan and Punjab.”
The department has decided to arrange stocks of various pesticides needed for the control of locust on consignment basis and the same may distributed to the farmers at 50 per cent subsidy. In case of locust attack, the DCs have been told to make use of pesticides to be supplied through HAFED, Haryana Seed Development Corporation, Haryana Agro Industries Corporation and Haryana Land Reclaim and Development Corporation.
After the orders of the DCs, the pesticide stocks will be utilised on 100 per cent subsidised rates. The DCs have been told to coordinate with DCs of the adjoining districts in case of swarm attacks.
The Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department has constituted a response team at the headquarters led by Director General of the department. Its officials at the district level have been asked to set up WhatsApp groups by including progressive farmers for sharing of information.
Gurjeet Singh Mann, a progressive farmers from Kirpal Patti village of Sirsa, said that luckily, the threat of damage to crops due to locust attack will be much lesser than it would have been had the attack occurred in January and February when nearby districts of Rajasthan witnessed swarms of locusts. “At this point of time, over 75 per cent of agriculture land in these districts is without any crop,” said Mann.
This news has not been edited by Apni Kheti staff but has been published by various news feeds
Source: The Tribune
