Speed Post News Network
New Delhi : As per the Food and Agriculture Organisation’s Locust Status Update of August 24, 2020, the risk of swarm migration to the Indo-Pakistan summer breeding area has nearly subsided. Weekly virtual meeting on Desert Locust of South-West Asian countries (Afghanistan, India, Iran and Pakistan) is being organised by Food and Agriculture Organisation. Altogether 23 virtual meetings of the technical officers of South West Asian countries have taken place so far.
Starting from April 11, 2020, till August 25, 2020, control operations have been done in 2,79,066 hectares area in States of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana by Locust Circle Offices (LCOs).
Till August 25, 2020, control operations have also 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 State Governments.
No locust adults or hoppers were spotted in any of the affected areas on August 25, 2020. However, adequate manpower is on vigil for survey and control with sufficient vehicles and spray equipment in the State/s of Rajasthan, and Gujarat. on August 26, 2020, intensive survey operations continued by LCOs to locate and eliminate locust population, if any, according to a PIB release.