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New Delhi : Starting from April 11, 2020, till August 22, 2020, locust control operations have been done in 2,78,716 hectares area in States of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana by Locust Circle Offices (LCOs). Till August 22, control operations have been done in 2,87,374 hectares area in States of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Uttarakhand, and Bihar by the respective State Government.
Control operations were carried out during day and night time on August 22 at 4 places in 3 districts viz. Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, and Bikaner of Rajasthan and two places in Kutch district of Gujarat against hoppers by LCOs. Adequate manpower and control teams with spray vehicles are deployed in the States of Rajasthan, and Gujarat
No significant crop losses have been reported in the States of Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, and Haryana. However, some minor crop losses have been reported in some districts of Rajasthan. On August 23, 2020, hoppers are active in Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, and Bikaner districts of Rajasthan and Kutch district of Gujarat.
As per the Food and Agriculture Organisation’s Locust Status Update of August 14, 2020, swarms persist in the Horn of Africa. Good rains fell in Yemen where more hopper bands and swarms are likely to form. Hopper groups and bands continue to form along the Indo-Pakistan border, according to a PIB release.
Weekly virtual meeting on Desert Locust of South-West Asian countries (Afghanistan, India, Iran and Pakistan) is being organised by FAO and 22 virtual meetings of the technical officers of South West Asian countries have taken place so far.