Goa govt ready to deal with locust menace: Kavlekar

Goa deputy Chief Minister and Agriculture Minister Chandrakant Kavlekar said on Thursday that the state government has activated taluka-level officials and field workers to tackle possible locust attacks. Most of the crops have been harvested so even if locust swarms enter Goa, the damage will be minimal, he said.

Farmers were being educated about what measures should be taken while a mechanism is in place to forecast the possibility of pests attacking the fields, he said. After swarms of locusts reached Maharashtra, farmers in the bordering areas have already been alerted, he said.